President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met on April 7 at President Palace with participants from foreign countries of international conference ‘Protection of Political Rights in Azerbaijan – New Criteria’.

President ILHAM ALIYEV said:

Ladies and gentlemen, I greet you. Welcome to our country. I am much delighted for realization of such an important international event. I believe discussions, exchange of views to be held during the conference and practical results of the event will play essential role in continuation of political reforms in our country in future, also establishment of better understanding among the politicians in the society. The conference is of importance also for integration of Azerbaijan to the European structures. I know that your schedule for today and tomorrow is very busy. Political reforms, democratic development, human rights protection, evaluation of the state of human rights in our country and world will be the subject of your discussions.

We successfully continue political and economic reforms in our country. The fact that political and economic reforms are implemented in the same time and complete each other shows we take all factors in this field into consideration. When Azerbaijan gained independence there was no political system, market economy, political pluralism, democracy in the country. We had left the one-party system making decisions in totalitarian way. For last 16 years we achieved very important changes. More than 80% of our economy today is assured by private sector. Economy of Azerbaijan is fully based on the market economy principles. We are implementing the principles of liberalization, involvement of foreign investments and diversification of economy.

Regarding the political system, today we have got the attributes – multi-party system, political pluralism, freedom of speech, press that other democratic countries have. You know that hundreds of newspapers are published in our country. We strongly support democratic processes in Azerbaijan, because despite all economic achievements we know that we can get our goals only due to creating the strong public control and firm democratic bases. By the way, these achievements are very noticeable. For last 4 years, GDP increased 96%. Yes, today Azerbaijan is the country assuring itself. We have good economic development. A number of social and infrastructure projects are carried out. We have rich natural resources and our energy resources are exported to the world and European markets. We know that when all this are accompanied by strong political system our successes increase.

Major goal of our integration to the European structures is the desire of bringing our criteria of living conditions closer to a number of positive criteria existing in Europe. When Azerbaijan entered the Council of Europe in 2001 the main objective was to bring all achievements in field of democratic development and human rights protection to our country. The same policy was continued after we joined the new neighborhood programme of the European Union. In this case, our main goal was still to have the criteria in Azerbaijan closer to the ones in the European Union.
As it was recently declared, implementation of the part of the EU new neighborhood programme concerning Azerbaijan was very successful. We cooperate regarding different issues and believe it will cover new spheres in future.

In whole, to me, the situation and potential in the country is quite positive. We have managed to put an end to major economic, political and social difficulties we faced in the first years of independence. We are the country assuring itself and have established good relations with neighbors, also international organizations. Concerning the economic development I can say Azerbaijan takes one of the first places in the world for 4 years in succession. Beside rapid growth of GDP, we have managed to reduce the poverty. For last 4 years this figure dropped from 49% to 16. It shows oil revenues are fairly divided in Azerbaijan. If not so, the number of the poor would be high. We have achieved realization of important regional projects. We have almost completely removed the unemployment problem. Over 600,000 workplaces have been opened for last 4 years. State budget increased 10 times and reached from $1,3 bn to 12 bn. This figure equals the highest per capita budget expenses in entire former USSR.

Of course, based on such strong economic foundation, important steps have been taken in our country towards assurance of superiority of law, observance of human rights, further development of democracy. We hope in near future our political system will not fall behind the one of the developed countries of the world.
We have all possibilities to become the developed country. Literacy is in very high level, 100% almost. There is very favorable environment of investment in the country. At the same time, Azerbaijan is multinational state. There are a number of ethnic minorities in our country, they live as one family. Ethnic and religious tolerance is in high level. All this are the most necessary and important elements characterizing the success.

But there are problems too. There are some problems and we will be increasing our efforts to solve them. We do not declare that all political disputes on the political stage of the country have been settled. The society has not been politicized, I mean 2 or 3% of the society is the member of political parties. It is reality. National interests of our country, strengthening of independence are priority issues. All national forces must be united in these issues linked to the independence of Azerbaijan.

I am sure that you have information on Azerbaijan. Sometimes there is discrepancy between information given on Azerbaijan and reality. During this visit you will personally see the issues on the agenda of our country, development processes and deficiencies. Beside the discussions you will hold, I think your contacts with your colleagues here and familiarization with real situation is more important. We are very pleased that we have managed to protect the stability in our country. This stability is protected not due to any severe actions but as a result of development. Living conditions of population in our country are yearly improved. Economic growth is very rapid, public spirit is positive.
We will keep on implementing political and economic reforms. The people supports our policy for continuation of these reforms and taking Azerbaijan towards the progress, democracy and development.

Today I do not want to take your time much. You will have every opportunity to assess the situation. I wish you to have interesting discussions and nice days in our country. I hope those visiting for the first time will closely be familiarized with Azerbaijan and I believe will remember this visit.

EDUARD LINTNER (member of German Bundestag): - Dear Mr President, our meeting with You is the most important part of our visit to Azerbaijan. I am very grateful for creating the opportunity of meeting with You twice. Your intensive and hard activity towards assurance of success of reforms You carry out was noticed in today’s meeting. You also mentioned You are trying to solve some problems. All know that necessary and successful steps are taken to take Azerbaijan to higher democratic level. We always support You in this road. I thank NGOs that have organized the conference, because participation of not only politicians, governments and presidents but also whole society and its institutions in these processes is necessary. I think, in this case affairs will be more successful. Participation of nearly 100 experts, politicians and journalists from Europe and world in this conference is good. I wish great success to the conference and peace to Your country. Thanks a lot.

PAUL VIL (Senator of Belgium): - You are young head of state. I met and talked to a number of people, specially youth in Your country. They are happy and steps taken forward make them happy. We witnessed positive mood in the society. Our colleagues having visited Your country several times mention the noticeable development. Regarding the conference, to us, this event is very positive initiative. It is very necessary for us to be familiarized with achievements and problems of this country and using the great possibilities we possess say our view during discussions on Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe and other international organizations. I think the facts and indicators we have gained are the best arguments for Your country. While economy develops, mutual integration of Your country to the world will grow and I hope we all will be changed to members of a big international family. Your rapid economic development is the sign of the right direction You have taken. Thank You so much.

PEDRO AGRAMUNT (Senator of Spain): - Mr President, I am the member of the Spanish parliament. I am involved in the work of the EU Monitoring Committee too. I am also the member of the EU Political Affairs Committee. I first thank You for inviting us. It was excellent idea to organize such conference. I would like to mention with pleasure that You and Your country pay attention to protection of human rights and political rights. It is necessary for democracy. We know that after joining the Council of Europe Your country is actively involved in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly. In last November I attended the conference here dedicated to the freedom of speech and must say I was much impressed by development in Azerbaijan. I first visited Your country 6-7 years ago. Then I was representative of the EU Migration Committee. Now I see changes here. As You said we see it all personally. The country is rapidly changing. I once again express my gratitude to You for receiving us and organizing the conference.

ALAIN DESTEKSI (Senator of Belgium): - Mr President, I am the senator of Belgium and represent my country in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. I also preside the Belgium-Azerbaijan Friendship Group in the Belgian parliament. I thank You for receiving us. I am grateful to the Council for Political Prisoners Problems that has organized the conference. I highly value Your welcoming address, because You well described the situation in Your country. I must say this is my third visit to Azerbaijan. Like my colleagues I also feel the economic and political progress. People present here support Your policy and integration of Your country to the international world. I am grateful to the Council for Political Prisoners Problems for providing the opportunity to openly discuss different issues. In the end I want to say we are fully confident in one issue – Azerbaijan and the people of Azerbaijan is very kind. We know it. The one visiting this country once desires to come back to Azerbaijan twice. Thank You very much.

President ILHAM ALIYEV: - Thank you so much for warm words you said. I believe this conference will have positive influence on further development of ties of Azerbaijan with organizations and countries you represent. This event will provide you with the opportunity to be acquainted with real state of our country and evaluate the processes happening here. According to information given to me, one of themes of the conference is political prisoners, democratic development and so on. It is very necessary. I remember, from the very beginning of our admission to the Council of Europe we have supported formation of such universal criteria.

These criteria should be concerned every country but not one or several countries. All criteria should take into consideration the regional state of countries, be defined in comparative manner in base of the time factor in integration, democracy process of this or another country. Our position has always been so and remains as it is. If international community, specially European organizations, human rights organizations and NGOs develop and form the recommendations about criteria of evaluation for all us, practical results of such discussions would be more effective for cooperation. Today, political reforms, economic development, democratization process of Azerbaijan cannot be taken away from the context of regional cooperation, neighborhood and threats we face. If the criteria discussed are applied on all the regional countries, more clear and grounded impression would be created on indicators of Azerbaijan and development of our country.

We cooperate with international organizations, NGOs and our friends to improve the situation. As I mentioned, only democratic process can create the base for sustainable development in our country. For example, Azerbaijan is known as the oil country. It has always been so. Now, we have become the important country on this point in the international level. If we had not apply the most democratic and transparent rules in management of the State Oil Fund, all funds we receive today from our energy projects would not be spent correctly. The State Oil Fund has been founded from the beginning in such a form that it is awarded the international prizes today. Last year UN awarded the High Transparency Prize to the State Oil Fund. All international organizations dealing with this issue highly assess this index. It may seem like an absolute energy issue and economic issue, but if not our firm confidence in democratic process, current situation would be different. I am talking of this because energy sector is the leading field in our economy. Despite we are working in field of non-oil sector and diversification of regional cooperation, the energy factor will characterize economic development of Azerbaijan, also the regional cooperation in future too. Projects we started several years ago promotes today wide international cooperation, regional partnership, creation of new corridors not existed before. Those corridors link Azerbaijan to Black and Mediterranean seas and assure access to Baltic Sea. At present, regional cooperation between Black and Caspian seas has become quite noticeable thanks to projects we started in early 1990s. And today we add the transport, humanitarian and firm cooperation with European organizations components to those projects. At the moment, frontiers of EU reach the Black Sea shores. A few days ago I attended the NATO Summit in Romania.
This event showed once more the necessity for lifting the confidence in the region and the level of cooperation. It must not be in the form of declarations only. Here we form the bases of great economic and political partnership in base of mutual interests of producer and consumer, also transit countries. These works are performed in very friendly circumstance.

Projects, foreign policy, our initiatives in economic and energy sphere are directed to strengthen cooperation, friendship, partnership and mutual interests. Today, you discuss the human rights affair. This is fundamental and universal value and knows no border. As you know, our countrymen who have become refugee and IDP as result of the aggressive and ethnic cleansing policy committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan are suffering from brutal violation of human rights. Our lands are under occupation for over 10 years. Infrastructure has been destroyed in all occupied territories. The OSCE fact analyzing mission that visited the region a few years ago mentioned in its report that all the infrastructure, historical and religious monuments, plants, dwelling houses have completely been destructed by the armed forces of Armenia. Not only Daghlig Garabagh but also 7 administrative districts located beyond its administrative frontiers and never populated by Armenians are under occupation. Over a million of Azeris having suffered from this conflict wait for returning to their native lands. Rights of these people who form the important part of population have been violated for long years and have not been restored. Unfortunately, talks held so far did not have any result on settlement of the problem. Sometimes we agree with the talks process sometimes not. Of course, we always raise this issue in frame of international organizations. We expect the international union to be involved in this affair more actively. We have got the strong political support. UN Security Council adopted 4 resolutions in the 1990s demanding immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from our lands. Occupation of our lands and creation of a million of refugees and IDPs was stated in the document of the Council of Europe in 2005. UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recently and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is openly supported there and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories is demanded. Resolution was recently adopted in the NATO summit. It is clearly shown that the member states of NATO support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It is also stated that this conflict must and can be solved only taking into consideration the territorial integrity principle. All this are very important and positive declarations of the international community. But nothing happens in reality.

Separatism in Daghlig Garabagh that is supported by aggressor Armenia’s leadership has resulted in occupation of our lands. I would like to mention twice that this is the sign of mass violation of human rights. It is quite non-democratic conduct that cannot be accepted in XXI century. Incidents happened in Armenia after the presidential elections is the result of the real substance of leadership of that country, of the aggressive separatist policy. If not this conflict, Armenia could develop. They gained nothing of this conflict. There is no life in territories occupied, they are dead cities. The aggressive policy from which population of Azerbaijan is suffering cannot be supported. The conflict must be settled in base of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan only. After the occupied territories are released our refugee and IDP countrymen must return there. There is no Azerbaijani today in Daghlig Garabagh. All they have been fired from this territory, only Armenians live there. Azerbaijanis dismissed from this territory must return there and people to live there must have high-level self-governance. This is what Azerbaijan, the international unity proposes, the only fair way to solve the conflict. This is the democratic way to the settlement of the conflict. It will put an end to hostility, bring peace to our region and make processes ongoing in our region more forecasted. This is the biggest, number one problem to us. We have united all our efforts to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Daghlig Garabagh conflict and restore our territorial integrity. It includes political, diplomatic initiatives, economic preference, changing the balance of forces in the Caucasian region, strengthening of our defense potential and cooperation with international organizations in base of the important norm of international law such as territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.