Madrid, Spain 4 June 2003

Statement by H.E. Dr. Vilayat Guliyev Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Dear Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me firstly to thank the Spanish Government for warm hospitality and providing excellent working conditions for our meeting. I would like also to convey our heartfelt condolences with regard to the tragic plane crash that took lives of 62 Spanish peacekeepers returning back from their duty in Afghanistan. Mr. Chairman, Over the last two years the terrorism coupled with proliferation of WMD and transnational crime have radically changed the security environment around the world. International terrorism has proved its capability to constantly develop its global network, using new technologies and extremist ideological appeal. Attacking the selected civilian and military facilities around the world, the terrorists challenge not only our security and stability. The ultimate goal is to try to instigate new conflicts and confrontations based on religion, ethnicity and separatism and prevent the development of world civilization based on common values of democracy and freedom. The development of new spots of conflict and confrontation provides favorable underlying conditions conducive to further nurturing of terrorism. We strongly believe that successful counter-terrorism implies the comprehensive approach including along with cooperation on military and intelligence issues the joint activities on democratic institution building and reconstruction in those affected regions including Afghanistan, Middle East and South Mediterranean. The International community should be ready to undertake the comprehensive actions on reforming and strengthening government and state institutions dealing with broad range of issues, including defense and internal security, border controls and non-proliferation, fighting illegal trafficking of arms and drugs. In all mentioned areas the Alliance working with Partners within the PFP program and successfully developing its own expertise and experience has got an important role to play. In this regard we fully support the decision taken by NATO to take over the command of the ISAF peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. Azerbaijan is ready to offer its assistance in democratic reconstruction and developing secular, civil institutions in Afghanistan. Our resolution to participate in anti-terrorist coalition was followed by the decision to join with peacekeeping platoon to ISAF, within which we would be interested also to participate in the operational planning and command arrangements. Azerbaijan is also planning to contribute to the process of peaceful reconstruction in Iraq. Nowadays we are making preparations to join international operations in Iraq. Azerbaijan strongly believes that Alliance together with Partners can and should play a central role in dealing with new threats and challenges to the Euro-Atlantic security. NATO and its PFP program have got all necessary instruments to counter those challenges at the practical level. It is the unique character and advantage of Alliance and its Partnership program that provides for consultations and the development of interoperability mechanisms and capabilities to engage in joint actions against imminent threats and risks. Azerbaijan as a nation actively participating in international efforts to fight terrorism, attributes great importance to NATO’s Partnership Action Plan on Terrorism. We are ready to build bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Allies and Partners through PAP-T that offers necessary groundwork for successful coordination of efforts and for implementation of country programs. However, the effectiveness of this endeavor will depend on the level of operational cooperation between Allies and Partners across the whole spectrum of security sector, including preventive sharing and joint assessment of intelligence information backed up by information management and exchange system. The work started by NATO IS on extending the scope of Political-Military Framework for the NATO-led operations to the sphere of counter-terrorism is also important. It is clear that Partnership can’t develop separately from NATO, but vice-versa is true as well. The promotion of practical cooperation up to the level of integrational partnership and interoperability with Partners who are willing to contribute in real terms to security and stability in Euro-Atlantic area is as important as the enlargement process itself. Meantime, given the drastic changes in the ratio of allies and partners after two waves of enlargement and growing diversity of interests and capabilities among partner nations there is a need for further individualization of partnership so as to make it geared towards the specific needs and security concerns of individual countries. In this sense the proposed Individual Partnership Action Plan is the right and timely response to arising circumstances. Azerbaijan has already expressed its readiness to build its relations with the Alliance on the basis of IPAP. We hope that it will systematize and harmonize all spheres of our partnership pertinent to the NATO’s objectives and Azerbaijan’s particular needs and interests and will elevate it to the level of integration. I am pleased to note our intensively developing practical cooperation with NATO, which goes beyond the immediate responsibilities of Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs, covering areas of border control, civil emergency planning, environmental and scientific issues. Currently the Alliance is assisting Azerbaijan in setting up the PFP Trust Fund Project led by Turkey on clearance and rehabilitation of contaminated area of Saloglu from unexploded ordinance. Given the shortage of resources to start the project I would like to take this opportunity to ask for contribution of Alliance and Partner nations to this Trust Fund so that to speed up the solution of this pressing humanitarian and environmental problem. I should also like to mention the project presented by Azerbaijan at PMSC on border security, which is of great importance and heavily depends on the NATO and partner assistance. Secretary General, Your recent visit to Azerbaijan was a clear indication of significance that NATO attaches to partnership with my country. We also welcome the increased interest on the side of the Alliance to the region of South Caucasus which is unalienable part of Euro-Atlantic area. Meanwhile, the South Caucasus still remains a volatile region featured with protracted conflicts, un-controlled zones, large-scale humanitarian catastrophe and military occupation. Regrettably, due to un-constructive and aggressive stance of Armenia there has not been achieved breakthrough in the settlement process of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict yet. Officially rejecting internationally recognized borders between two countries and violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan Armenia makes impossible any compromise on the conflict and further on any cooperation. We continue to support the efforts of OSCE Minsk Group on the peaceful resolution of the conflict on the basis of norms and principles of the international law. We also believe that NATO has not by far employed yet its great potential to address key security issues of our region to contribute to peace and stability. Thank you.