Azerbaijani MP: Madrid principles are built against Azerbaijan’s interests

For several months, we have heard that Iran is fully ready to open its borders to all citizens of Azerbaijan without any visas. In your opinion, what is behind this sudden "open-door policy"?

I think it is not a surprise move. Iran has made such an attempt not for the first time. Tehran has sought to change the visa regime with Azerbaijan for decades. Now they announce that the visa-free regime for Azerbaijanis will unilaterally enter into force in February.  

What Iran actually wants? What is clear is that they need to ensure a greater presence in Azerbaijan. They want greater political integration with our people and deeper economic presence. They need both. To put it mildly, they seek to expand their influence in the neighboring country. Of course, everybody understands that Iran as a state has a much greater potential as compared with Azerbaijan in all respects. Therefore, Tehran sees Azerbaijan as a zone of its presence and as available area of influence.

Interestingly, Iran announced these intentions almost simultaneously with the same actions of the Turkish Republic in respect to all its neighbors. Can it be seen as Iran’s attempt to compete with a stronger regional player - Turkey?

I do not think that the real picture looks that way. Anyone after careful reflection will recall that Turkey was trying to introduce visa-free regime with many countries long time ago. First, Turkey wanted to lift visa requirements with a predominantly Turkic-speaking population. But in recent years, Turkey has persistently tried to establish such a procedure with all the Turkic states.

Is there then a factor of a rivalry with Iran? Maybe. But I would not attribute the entire current situation to this. The main point is that there are two regional powers each of which wants to have a greater presence in neighboring countries.

This is not because of rivalry. Even whitout Iran, Turkey would still seek to introduce visa-free regime with the neighboring states and equally Iran would do the same without Turkey. This situation cannot be attributed to pure competitive impulses. Rather, the reason is the potential which allows these neighboring states to think that it is possible to take, for example, our country under control or, at least, to have influence on it.

Is Azerbaijan able to take the response action to lift visa regime with Iran?

This is a very difficult question to which people from the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry or from some other bodies should answer. I think, in any case, the Azerbaijani government is not inclined to take the response step by introducing visa-free regime for the Iranians.

How do you assess the OSCE Minsk Group efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict and co-chairs’ who visited the region and submitted the updated Madrid principles?

I think that serious work and true negotiations are underway at this stage. I believe the Madrid principles are built against Azerbaijan’s interests. I mean, of course, issues related to the referendum of the Nagorno-Karabakh they have proposed.  

Without a referendum, the Armenian side does not want to accept all other compromise settlements. However, if Azerbaijan accepts this, then after some time we will forever lose land of our ancestors - Nagorno-Karabakh.      

R. Mehdiyev