Namig Aliyev: "Georgia has to provide firm guarantees to attract Azeri capital"

Traditionally Georgia and Azerbaijan maintain good neighborly relations. When Russia cut gas and electricity supply to Georgia last winter Baku extended a hand of friendship to Georgia sharing some of its supply with Tbilisi. Georgia and Azerbaijan have similar problems with territorial integrity. However, Azerbaijan has improved its relations with Russia and due to its oil resources has started to push its economic growth.

Namig Aliyev: At the GUAM summit a short while ago, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili came up with a proposal to create a free economic zone. I think this initiative should be welcomed, and we hope Georgia will build its relations with its neighbouring country this way. I believe Azerbaijan and Georgia are destined to live in peace and friendship. It cannot be otherwise. It's quite natural that our relations have been improving.

Many are unhappy to see good neighborly relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia. In a live broadcast on Russian TV Channel RTV, a Russian political expert noted with regret that Azerbaijan shared its supply with Georgia when Russia cut the gas and electricity to Georgia, adding that Russia was involuntarily strengthening the friendship between Georgia and Azerbaijan by resorting to such actions...

Azerbaijan wants to maintain friendly, peaceful relations with all of its neighbors. We do want to have friends, kind and peace-loving neighbors in the north and south, east and west, with whom we can work and interact. We want our borders to be open. This will contribute to a firm and long-lasting peace in the region.

You are struggling to achieve friendly relations with Armenia, much like Georgia is with Russia. Is this because we have similar problems: Azerbaijan – that of Karabakh, and Georgia – those of Abkhazia and South Ossetia? How are you going to settle the Karabakh conflict, and does Azerbaijan have any advice for Georgia?

Let's start from the end. There are no ready recipes to solve the problems. The biggest problem plaguing the Caucasus today is the unresolved conflicts in the region. 20 percent of Azerbaijani's territory is broken away from Azerbaijan. Negotiations are underway and conducted under the aegis of the Minsk group. We do want our neighbour [Armenia] to make proper conclusions and recognise the norms of international law, as other states have done. Our hope is that the international community will make political assessments of our neighbour's actions, especially as OSCE has already recognized that Armenia is occupying Azeri territory.

Do you think this issue will reach the Hague Tribunal? As far as I know, Azerbaijan is working on the issue, and our compatriot Paata Davitashvili is also involved in this activity.

Launching a case in Hague would need extensive work. I think, if necessary, Azerbaijan will take the proper measures, but it does need preparations.

In your opinion, how effective would it be to conduct an inter-Caucasian dialogue with the participation of the leaders of all three South Caucasian states, plus neighbouring Turkey and Russia?

We have seen several such meetings conducted under various formats. Parliamentary speakers of these countries have already met but it's hard to say how effective these meetings have been. I hope a meeting between the executives of the countries will yield more concrete results. I can say more about the importance of bilateral relations. Azerbaijan has a very distinct, clear position about the breakaway territory, and is demanding the withdrawal of forces. It's absurd, almost impossible, when someone tries to impose on you the importance of economic relations or re-opening of rail communications when the territory is still in foreign hands. We can only talk of ending this occupation, eliminating the results of the aggression, and demanding compliance [from Armenia] with the norms of international law.

What is Azerbaijan's position on re-opening of the rail link between Georgia and Russia via Abkhazia? Armenia and Russia have deep interests in this project.

It's up to Georgia to determine the need for re-opening this rail link. We cannot comment on it. I can only say that Georgia and Azerbaijan are friendly countries and we have much in common.

Among common points we can also name the BTC pipeline. What role do you think it plays in Georgian-Azeri relations?

Had the pipeline been unprofitable for Azerbaijan, we would not have launched it. It is profitable for Georgia, as well. Azerbaijan made this step based on our historically friendly relations with Georgia.

Let's touch on the issue of the Georgian settlements in Azerbaijan. As far as we know, Georgian schools functioning in Azerbaijan have had some problems using Georgian textbooks. Is Azerbaijan planning to make any steps to help Georgian schools?

Some 17,000 Ingilos live in the Kakh and Zakatalo regions in Azerbaijan. I can say that they have all necessary conditions to develop and preserve their mother tongue, to learn Georgian culture and develop it. They have their own cultural centre and a theatre. The Azeri government pays heed to the demands of the Georgian population and assists them in solution of the problems. During her visit to Azerbaijan, (Georgia's First Lady) Sandra Roelofs asked our government to provide ambulances for these regions and we certainly honored her request. You know that Georgia is also home to a half million Azeri minority. However, Azerbaijanis have quite a different problem here – they are not taught the Georgian language at high level. Poor language skills are one of the major impediments for the integration of the Azeri minority in Georgia. Georgia should create conditions to improve the teaching of its state language.

This is why we do want Azeri people to learn the Georgian language, the history of the Georgian people, and to receive education in the Georgian language to ensure that they are equal citizens of Georgia and enjoy equal privileges and rights. However, due to poor knowledge of the Georgian language, they cannot participate in the active life of Georgia.

From the very first years of its independence, Armenia has identified Russia as its strategic ally. Azerbaijan has managed to establish rather balanced relations with Russia; at least it does not have any acute problems in its relations with Russia, while Georgia does. Ironically, Azerbaijan has not sold any assets of strategic importance to Russia, while Georgia has sold many. How have you managed to improve your relations with Russia?

You know, every policy should be built on realism and experience of international law. Azerbaijan made it clear that it was to build its policy on good neighbourly relations and friendship. We only want one thing – to make friends with all of our neighbours. That would guarantee peace in the region. This is why, when we talk about relations with Russia, Georgia, Iran, and even with Armenia, we try to base our relations on peaceful co-existence, international law and friendship. If you follow this policy without major deviations, without compromising your principles, the policy will bear fruit in the long run.

Are you striving for integration into NATO?

No, we are striving to keep relations with the international community and international organizations normal and active. At this stage, we are satisfied with this level of relations with NATO as it helps us further develop. However, it is not absolutely necessary to join NATO to achieve that. We don't set such goals at all, but cooperation is beneficial for both parties.

The US is building pressure on Iran concerning nuclear armament allegations. If the US decides to attack Iran where will Azerbaijan stand?

Iran is our neighbour and we have good neighbourly relations. We are ready to cooperate with every party that supports peaceful settlement of the issue.

Azerbaijan is a member of GUAM. At the recent GUAM summit in Kiev, Saakashvili's rhetoric over Russia was explicitly negative, while Azerbaijan refrained from being critical. Will those differences in foreign policy priorities deepen the rift within this organization and help divide it into two camps?

Let's make it clear that GUAM is not an organization that is targeting any country. GUAM is an organization which aims to solve issues concerning the four member countries, to facilitate to economic, political and cultural actions among them. It aims to create the necessary conditions for common development. I don't think its confrontation with any country or organization would be reasonable.

At the GUAM summit the leaders of the member countries talked about further enlargement of the organization to incorporate Romania, Bulgaria and some other countries.

I don't think that is a bad idea.

You don't, but Russia might not like it.

I don't have any such information, nor have I heard of any open rhetoric [against GUAM enlargement]. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan viewed GUAM as an organization with a more economic basis than a political one.

Let's get back to relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The two countries have not yet agreed on the restoration of the portion of the Davit Gareji monastery complex which is in Azeri territory. Georgia wants to restore the complex and has launched some work, but Azerbaijan has suspended it. Can you explain this?

Azerbaijan is planning to do the restoration work on its own and it is expecting an appeal from the Georgian Patriarchate. What happened before is that several Georgian men just crossed the border and began erecting some frames around the monastery. This was an illegal move and we had to take all proper measures to end to the action. However, Azerbaijan is still ready to restore the monastery.

Azerbaijan has spoken of conducting certain economic projects in Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia [densely settled by Azeri population]. What is Baku thinking about the projects now?

I don't think Azerbaijan will refuse the implementation of any projects. However, Georgia has to create a favourable investment climate to encourage Azeri investors.

Who or what is hindering the inflow of investments?

Do you know? If I knew who was impeding the final solution of the issue I would name them.

Azerbaijan has seen a tremendous growth in its economy. Nonetheless, Azeri companies do not participate in tenders in Georgia. How can you explain this?

Georgia has to provide firm guarantees to attract Azeri capital. This is very important for investors.

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