Ilham Aliyev: "We need to concentrate on the future"

The current Chairperson-in-office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, on Sunday (14 March) met in Baku with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the situation in the South Caucasus following the 44-day Karabakh war.

Linde later tweeted:

According to the website of the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev told Linde that "the conflict is already in the history and we need to look to the future. And we discussed today with you our views how to build the future. We think four months which passed after war already demonstrate the will of both sides to turn the page and to concentrate on the future. This is very important."

The president added, 

"As far as we are concerned, we already started the rehabilitation of the liberated territories. The program of reconstruction already is being implemented. A lot is to be done, because everything is destroyed on the liberated territories-the cities, the villages, the cultural monuments, all infrastructure. So there will be really a very big scope of work. It’s more than 10 thousand square kilometers of totally destroyed area. We already started the process of negotiations on the opening of communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That was part of the statement which was signed on November 10. Negotiations already had several rounds, different levels and I think that this particular issue can be a starting point for completely turning the page of war and leaving it to the history. Because opening of communications will be in the benefit of all the regional countries. We will create new opportunities, bring new dynamics to regional cooperation. And it can bring after many other areas of potential cooperation. I already publicly spoke that Azerbaijan is ready for that. We have completed our task, we liberated the territories, implemented the resolutions of Security Council of United Nations and decisions of OSCE. So now, we need to concentrate on future."

source: commonspace.eu with the press office of the president of Azerbaijan and agencies
photo: OSCE CiO met in Baku on 14 March 2021 with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Israel recognises Somaliland, opening a pandora's box in Africa

Israel recognises Somaliland, opening a pandora's box in Africa

Israel ‍has recognized Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday. "Together with Foreign Minister Sa'ar and the President of the Republic of Somaliland, we signed a joint and mutual declaration," Netanyahu posted to X. "This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords signed at the initiative of President Trump," he said. In doing so, Israel became the first country to recognize the breakaway region. Somalia's Foreign Ministry denounced Israel's "deliberate attack" on its sovereignty and warned that recognizing Somaliland as an independent state would "undermine regional peace." "Illegitimate actions of this nature seriously undermine regional peace and stability, exacerbate political and security tensions," the ministry said in a statement. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he held phone calls with his counterparts from Somalia, Turkey and Djibouti to discuss what they described as dangerous developments in the Horn of Africa, following Israel's announcement The ministers condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, reaffirmed their full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, and warned that recognizing breakaway regions poses a threat to international peace and security, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said. "This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy and its efforts to do everything to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state, constitutes overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  The African Union (AU) joined the condemnations of Israel's recognition of Somaliland.  "Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia... risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent," an AU statement read. Israel said that it has now established diplomatic relations with Somaliland, and the two will soon set up embassies. commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment that by recognising Somaliland Israel has opened Africa's pandora's box. "The borders of most African countries were drawn in colonial times, and in the post-colonial period of the last seventy years, these borders have been considered sacrosanct. The two exceptions are also to be found in the Horn of Africa, where Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia and South Sudan broke away from Sudan." (click the image to read the full article).

Popular

Editor's choice
News
Israel recognises Somaliland, opening a pandora's box in Africa

Israel recognises Somaliland, opening a pandora's box in Africa

Israel ‍has recognized Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday. "Together with Foreign Minister Sa'ar and the President of the Republic of Somaliland, we signed a joint and mutual declaration," Netanyahu posted to X. "This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords signed at the initiative of President Trump," he said. In doing so, Israel became the first country to recognize the breakaway region. Somalia's Foreign Ministry denounced Israel's "deliberate attack" on its sovereignty and warned that recognizing Somaliland as an independent state would "undermine regional peace." "Illegitimate actions of this nature seriously undermine regional peace and stability, exacerbate political and security tensions," the ministry said in a statement. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he held phone calls with his counterparts from Somalia, Turkey and Djibouti to discuss what they described as dangerous developments in the Horn of Africa, following Israel's announcement The ministers condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, reaffirmed their full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, and warned that recognizing breakaway regions poses a threat to international peace and security, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said. "This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy and its efforts to do everything to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state, constitutes overt interference in Somalia's domestic affairs," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.  The African Union (AU) joined the condemnations of Israel's recognition of Somaliland.  "Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia... risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent," an AU statement read. Israel said that it has now established diplomatic relations with Somaliland, and the two will soon set up embassies. commonspace.eu political editor said in a comment that by recognising Somaliland Israel has opened Africa's pandora's box. "The borders of most African countries were drawn in colonial times, and in the post-colonial period of the last seventy years, these borders have been considered sacrosanct. The two exceptions are also to be found in the Horn of Africa, where Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia and South Sudan broke away from Sudan." (click the image to read the full article).