{"id":14973,"date":"2009-09-26T22:44:07","date_gmt":"2009-09-26T20:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turkishforum.com.tr\/en\/content\/?p=14973"},"modified":"2009-09-26T22:44:07","modified_gmt":"2009-09-26T20:44:07","slug":"un-ga-session-statement-of-elmar-mammadyarov-minister-of-foreign-affairs-of-azerbaijan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/2009\/09\/26\/un-ga-session-statement-of-elmar-mammadyarov-minister-of-foreign-affairs-of-azerbaijan\/","title":{"rendered":"UN GA Session: Statement of Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

General Debate of the 64th Session (2009)<\/h2>\n

Azerbaijan
\nH.E. Elmar Maharram oglu Mammadyarov, Minister for Foreign Affairs<\/h3>\n

25 September 2009<\/p>\n

\nStatement summaryELMAR MAMMADYAROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, said that, unfortunately, the unlawful use of force had still not been removed from the context of international relations.\u00a0 Today, civilian populations were still suffering from the manifest failure of individual States to fulfil their most basic responsibilities.\u00a0 Governments failing to obey the rules of international conduct inevitably infringed upon individual liberties and freedoms at home, thus undermining democratic development.\u00a0 The most vivid example of misconduct against the norms and principles of international law was the still unresolved Nagorny Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n

As a result of Armenia\u2019s aggression, almost one fifth of Azerbaijan\u2019s territory had been occupied and some 1\u00a0million Azerbaijanis had become refugees and internally displaced persons, he said.\u00a0 Four Security Council resolutions recognized Nagorny Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and called for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces.\u00a0 General Assembly resolution 62\/243 expressed support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and the advocated a step-by-step approach to settling the conflict.<\/p>\n

He said a number of important steps must be taken, starting with the withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories and the return of internally displaced persons to their homes.\u00a0 That would pave the way for durable peace and stability in the region, which would be conducive to the elaboration of the legal status of Nagorny Karabakh within Azerbaijan, taking due account of the wishes of both Azeri and Armenian communities of the region.\u00a0 Armenia\u2019s acceptance of the step-by-step approach based on the decisions reflected in the Joint Declaration signed in Moscow in 2008 by the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation was a positive sign.<\/p>\n

Azerbaijan had minimized the impact of the global economic downturn and managed to sustain its growth, he said, adding that, since 2003, the poverty rate had dropped from 44 to 13 per cent.\u00a0\u00a0 The country\u2019s modern energy infrastructure, coupled with vast energy resources, had transformed Azerbaijan into an energy hub of international importance and contributed to the development of neighbouring States.\u00a0 Today was a time of heightened religious and ethnic awareness, which in certain instances was maliciously exploited to fuel conflicts on ethnic, religious or cultural grounds.\u00a0 Azerbaijan supported fully the Secretary-General\u2019s recommendations to remove hate messages, distortions, prejudice and negative bias from educational media and to ensure basic knowledge and understanding of the world\u2019s main cultures and religions.\u00a0 Azerbaijan had been among the first countries to join the Alliance of Civilizations initiative of Turkey and Spain.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: GA\/10863<\/p>\n

PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN
\nTO THE UNITED NATIONS
\nK66 United Nations Pl\u00bb\u2122, Suite 5<M, New York, N,Y. 10017 TYI.: (212)171-2559 Fax: (212)371-2784
\nCheck against delivery
\nStatement
\nby H.E. Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
\nGeneral Debates
\nof the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly
\n25 September 2009, New York
\nExcellencies,
\nLadies and gentlemen,
\nI would like to join the previous speakers and congratulate H.E. Mr. Ali Abdussalam
\nTreki of Libya on his election to the post of the President of the 64th session of the
\nUnited Nations General Assembly and wish him every success, and I thank his
\npredecessor Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann for his work.
\nI also express my profound respect and appreciation to the Secretary-General of the
\nUnited Nations H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his leadership in mobilizing the
\ninternational community to make our world a better place to live.
\nMr. President,
\nWe all recognise that the security of every State in the world can be better promoted
\nand ensured with a multilateral security system. This paradigm was a principal reason
\nbehind creation of the collective security system with the United Nations
\nOrganization at its core.
\nYet, after more than 60 years since the United Nations was founded, the question still
\nremains valid whether the contemporary international security architecture is
\neffectively and timely addressing the multifaceted and interconnected challenges and
\nthreats confronting our today’s world?
\n-1-
\nThe global character of today’s challenges and threats makes the geographic distance
\nirrelevant in security policy formulation, since the threats as we know them today
\ntranscend the national frontiers and the whole continents. The indirect repercussions
\nof the threats may be as much devastating and costly as the direct impact. The
\ninterconnected and intertwined nature of the threats requires reconsidering the very
\nconcept of security in broader terms that is not confined to the traditional military
\naspect of security, but comprises also political, economic, energy, cultural,
\ninformation and other dimensions.
\nThe security of each State, and more broadly, the international peace and security will
\ndepend on whether States follow the norms and principles of international law and
\nuse them as a guiding tool for shaping their foreign and security policies. Following
\ncommon set of norms and rules on the international arena contributes to the
\ntransparency and predictability of State behaviour and hence consolidates
\ninternational peace and security.
\nUnfortunately, unlawful use of force is still not removed from the context of
\ninternational relations. Today civilian populations are still suffering in many places
\naround the world due to the manifest failure of individual States to fulfil their most
\nbasic and compelling responsibilities. Armed conflicts, military aggression and
\nforeign occupation involving the most serious international crimes are only a few
\nvivid examples from our recent history of the bitter consequences of noncompliance
\nby individual States with the norms and principles of international law. Governments
\nfailing to obey the rules of international conduct will inevitably infringe upon the
\nindividual liberties and freedoms at home, thus undermining the democratic
\ndevelopment.
\nLadies and gentlemen,
\nThe most vivid example of misconduct of the norms and principles of international
\nlaw is almost two decades long and still unresolved Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-
\nKarabakh conflict which also stands out as a major threat to international and
\nregional peace and security. As a result of the aggression conducted by Armenia
\nalmost one-fifth of the territory of Azerbaijan has been occupied, approximately 1
\nmillion ethnically cleansed Azerbaijani population has become internally displaced
\nand refugees, thousands of Azerbaijani historical-cultural heritage devastated and
\nlooted.
\nThe United Nations Security Council in its four resolutions on the conflict reaffirmed
\nthe sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inadmissibility of the
\nuse of force for the acquisition of territory of the other state. It has also recognized
\nNagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, complete and
\nunconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied territories of
\nAzerbaijan. The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 62\/243 of 14 March<\/p>\n

2008, entitled “The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, expressed
\nrespect and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its
\ninternationally recognized borders.
\nThe approach of the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly reflected
\nin the above-mentioned resolutions is fully consistent with the position of Azerbaijan,
\nwhich from the beginning advocated for a step-by-step approach to the conflict settlement
\nas the only viable option. A number of important steps have to be taken, starting with
\nthe withdrawal of Armenian forces from all the occupied territories, rehabilitation of
\nthese territories and return of the internally displaced persons to their homes in and
\naround the Nagorno-Karabakh region, opening of all communications for the mutual
\nuse. This will allow removing the consequences of the conflict and will pave the way for
\nthe establishment of durable peace and stability in the region conducive to the
\nelaboration of the legal status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within Azerbaijan
\nwith due account of the equally heard voices of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
\ncommunities of the region.
\nThe current settlement process gives some hopes for breaking the stalemate in the
\nresolution of the conflict. The acceptance by Armenia of the step-by-step approach to
\nthe settlement of the conflict on the basis of the principles and norms of international
\nlaw and the decisions and documents adopted in this framework as reflected in the
\nJoint Declaration signed in Moscow in November 2008 by the Presidents of
\nAzerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation is a positive sign.
\nAzerbaijan is ready to continue talks with Armenia’s leadership for the secure and
\nstable South Caucasus region and beyond which will allow using the ample regional
\nopportunities for the benefit of all.
\nExcellencies,
\nAgainst the background of the above-mentioned negative developments in the region
\nlet me briefly share positive economic performance of my country. Azerbaijan
\nminimized the impact of the global economic downturn on its economy and
\nmanaged to sustain the growth. In 2009 the national economy has retained its
\ndynamism and as of today the GDP growth is recorded at almost 4 %. Since 2003 we
\nhave recorded the drop in the poverty rate to 13 percent from 44 percent. The
\nGovernment of Azerbaijan has substantially improved trade and investment
\nconditions in an effort to strengthen national competitiveness and spur private sector
\ndevelopment, especially in the non-oil segment. Non-oil GDP grew at almost 16%,
\nthe highest rate in 5 years. In recognition of the results-oriented reforms and thoughtthrough
\neconomic policy Azerbaijan are qualified by the World Bank as one of the
\nworld’s top reformers.
\n– 3 –
\nStrategically located Azerbaijan with young, skilled population, ample resources and
\ndynamic economy is inevitably taking a leading role in the region and increasingly
\nbecomes a pivotal player and credible actor beyond the region.
\nThe successful implementation of the infrastructure projects such as Baku-Supsa,
\nBaku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export oil pipelines and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline
\nboosted not only our economy, but also contributed to the development of
\nneighbouring States. The modern energy infrastructure coupled with the vast energy
\nresources transformed Azerbaijan into an energy hub of international importance.
\nAzerbaijan has proven itself as a reliable partner and indispensable, secure energy
\nsource for Europe and beyond.
\nLocation of Azerbaijan at the crossroads of the East-West and North-South major
\ntransport corridors and rapidly developing national transportation infrastructure
\nconnected to the regional highway and railroad networks highlights the strategic
\nimportance of Azerbaijan. Completion of the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
\nrailroad and commissioning of the brand new seaport Alat on the Azerbaijani coast of
\nthe Caspian Sea will increase the role of Azerbaijan as a communication hub linking
\nEurope with Asia.
\nAzerbaijan also has put forward an initiative to establish a Trans-Eurasian Super
\nInformation Highway, which is expected to serve as a major element of the East-
\nWest transport corridor and facilitate the supply of 20 regional countries with
\ninternet, telecommunication systems, e-information resources and e-economies.
\nLadies and gentlemen,
\nToday, we are living at a time of heightened religious and ethnic awareness, which in
\ncertain instances takes on exaggerated forms and sometimes is being maliciously
\nexploited to fuel conflicts on ethnic, religious or cultural grounds. The broad
\nrecognition by the Member States of the United Nations of the role of the dialogue
\namong civilizations, and specifically of inter-cultural and inter-religious harmony in
\nmaintaining international peace and security can only be praised.
\nWe fully support the recommendations of the Secretary-General on the importance of
\nincreasing educational efforts to remove hate messages, distortions, prejudice, and
\nnegative bias from textbooks and other educational media, and ensuring the basic
\nknowledge and understanding of the world’s main cultures, civilizations and
\nreligions.
\nAs a country where long-standing traditions of tolerance and peaceful coexistence of
\ndifferent religions and ethnic groups over centuries became an inseparable part of the
\nculture, Azerbaijan has repeatedly demonstrated its determination to act as a natural
\nbridge bringing together different continents, cultures and civilizations through
\n-4-
\npromotion of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue based on mutual respect and
\nunderstanding among peoples of different cultures and religions.
\nAzerbaijan was among the first countries to join the Alliance of Civilizations
\ninitiative of Turkey and Spain. With a view to translating the recommendations
\ncontained in the “Alliance of Civilizations” report of the High-Level Group appointed
\nby the U.N. Secretary-General into concrete actions, over the past years Azerbaijan
\nhosted a number of important events. Most recently, we held Baku Forum on
\nExpanding the Role of Women in Cross-cultural Dialogue, which we believe will
\nraise the awareness of the role of women in intercultural dialogue. In December 2008
\nwe hosted the Conference of Culture Ministers of the Council of Europe Member
\nStates. For the first time in the history of the Council of Europe the ministers of the
\nMember States of ISESCO and ALECSO joined the event. The adopted Baku
\nDeclaration envisages inter alia intercultural dialogue between European and
\nneighbouring States.
\nAt the Fifth Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers the capital of Azerbaijan Baku
\nwas declared the Islamic Culture Capital for 2009. This autumn we will be hosting
\nthe Sixth Conference of Culture Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference,
\nwhere we will continue discussions of our future actions in fostering dialogue among
\ncivilizations.
\nMr. President,
\nThe multilateral system with the United Nations at its heart undergoes serious
\nchanges that test its strength, viability and credibility. This requires more dedicated
\nefforts aimed at strengthening the United Nations and promoting the effectiveness of
\nthe Organization through the implementation of its decisions and resolutions.
\nAzerbaijan believes that, as the only truly global organization, the United Nations has to
\nbe stronger and capable in engaging in a range of pressing global issues in every part
\nof the world, as well as in addressing aspirations and concerns of each Member State.
\nWe continue supporting the reform of the Organization, so that it could be renewed,
\nrevitalized and more responsive.
\nThank you!<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

General Debate of the 64th Session (2009) Azerbaijan H.E. Elmar Maharram oglu Mammadyarov, Minister for Foreign Affairs 25 September 2009 Statement summaryELMAR MAMMADYAROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, said that, unfortunately, the unlawful use of force had still not been removed from the context of international relations.\u00a0 Today, civilian populations were still suffering from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":783741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-azerbaijan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/783741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}