Азербайджанская Республика
Transcript of Press Conference by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov Following Talks with Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mamedyarov, Baku, March 12, 2009
Foreign Minister Lavrov: Esteemed colleagues,
We are meeting here today in the framework of our traditional intensive bilateral dialogue, for which the presidents of the two countries set the tone and content in full accordance with the Declaration on Friendship and Strategic Partnership, signed in July last year.
We examined the prospects for advancing our relations across the board. We are pleased with fast trade growth and believe this process will grow even more effective. In particular, we are interested in the active work of the Intergovernmental Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission. We have quite a few ideas under consideration of our agencies. They are about large energy projects; in particular, good prospects exist in high technologies and mutual investment. I think the amount of economic cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan will only grow in the interests of our economies and, of course, the citizens of our countries.
We cherish ties with Azerbaijan in the humanitarian sphere and the attention that the Azerbaijan leadership pays to the Russian language and culture. A branch of Moscow State University was unveiled in Baku the other day with participation by President Ilham Aliyev. Plans exist for branches of tertiary education institutions of our countries to be mutually opened soon. There are prospects for carrying out other humanitarian projects.
We also discussed regional problems, primarily the Nagorno Karabakh issue. The declaration signed last autumn in Moscow with the participation of the Presidents of the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and Armenia contain clearly defined guidelines for further movement forward, the parameters we are keen to reach in the framework of the process in which the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – Russia, the United States and France – act as mediators.
We also examined Caspian problems, the steps taken in development of the decisions of the Second Caspian Summit held in Teheran in autumn 2007, primarily the measures realized to promote economic cooperation among the Caspian states, and the contacts being maintained to make Caspian security more effective. We feel that in the coming months we will be able to advance on these issues and to prepare the ground for the next Caspian Summit which back in Teheran it was decided to convene in the capital of Azerbaijan.
International collaboration questions of mutual interest also were discussed – in particular, cooperation in Europe and the UN. Our delegations closely cooperate in the appropriate structures of the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe and render mutual support in accordance with the principles of relations between strategic partners.
In conclusion, I would like to once again thank our Azerbaijani hosts for the hospitality. I look forward to continuing dialogue with Elmar Mamedyarov, whom I am inviting to come to Moscow at a time convenient for him.
Foreign Minister Lavrov: (answering a question concerning military-technical cooperation). Russia carries it out with many countries, in the course of which it does not violate any international obligations or its legislation and avoids making any destabilizing supplies to any region. It is on these principles that we cooperate in the military-technical field with Azerbaijan and Armenia. No one makes any secret of this.
As to the fuss that arose around a certain document that appeared in the Azerbaijani and Russian media, this document, as has already been repeatedly stated and proven, is a forgery. It essentially does not meet any criteria of this kind of documents, contains information that is totally baseless and, what is of no less importance – contains grammatical errors which cause questions about where this document was compiled.
Question: Will Russia extend the contract for the use of Gabala Radar Station?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: Russia is interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan regarding the use of Gabala Radar Station. Of course, we will realize this interest through arrangements with our Azerbaijani colleagues.
Question: Does any dialogue exist between Ankara and Moscow on the Karabakh problem?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: An early settlement of the Karabakh problem would meet the interests of many countries, including those situated in this region. We discuss this theme with our Turkish partners solely in the mainstream of the efforts that are being made with mediation of the three OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. No one conducts any talks inconsistent with this format with anybody.
Question: Are any talks currently being conducted on the joint use of Gabala Radar Station by Russia and the United States?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: You know that with the consent of the Azerbaijan leadership that suggestion was made in July 2007 by Vladimir Putin in the context of a package proposal to foster joint work on tracking missile proliferation risks. There was no response to this offer, at least a satisfactory response. It remains valid. When and if our American and European partners show interest in this proposal as an alternative to unconstructive plans of deployment of a third positioning area, we will be ready to return to it, naturally on the understanding that the leadership of Azerbaijan reconfirms its consent to that option.
March 13, 2009
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