Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 7
Trend:
The world in 2016 is experiencing a political and military crisis, said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
“Bloody clashes and wars are blazing in various parts of the world, risks and threats are increasing,” President Aliyev said in his opening speech in a Cabinet of Ministers meeting, dedicated to the results of socio-economic development in nine months of 2016 and the tasks ahead.
“I can say the situation in the Middle East has reached its critical point. The confrontation in the Middle East can lead to a very big catastrophe, because we all see that the situation is gradually exacerbating,” he added.
Reminding about Europe’s migrant crisis, the president said this crisis is present all over the world.
“I have repeatedly expressed my thoughts on the migrant crisis,” he said. “I would like to once again say that the people who want to save their lives are not guilty of anything. Their countries have been destroyed as a result of foreign intervention. Their cities have been razed to the ground, their friends and relatives, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed.”
“They take refuge in Europe to save their lives,” the president added. “However, in some cases they are met in Europe by barbed wires and cages. And of course, this is, so to say, the feature of this year, and this delivers a huge blow to the inter-civilizational relations.”
He added that Azerbaijan has been for many years trying to step up the intercultural dialogue.
“Our activity has earned a great respect all over the world. However, unfortunately in various countries the tendency is going in the opposite direction,” said Ilham Aliyev.
The president added that today Azerbaijan plays a great role in various international organizations and has earned a great respect.
“But where should we integrate? Some, in order to please someone or to justify the donor money, say that we should integrate to Europe. But the question is: what Europe should we integrate in?” said the president.
Ilham Aliyev added that even the top leaders of the European Union admit that today there is a deep crisis in Europe.
“Should we integrate there? Should we integrate to a crisis? Should we integrate to those who say ‘stop to Muslims’? Should we integrate to those who apply double standards on Muslim refugees? Should we integrate to those who keep Muslims in cages? This is the question and we state this all,” he said. “Therefore, there are sometimes pressures and campaigns against us, slanders are fabricated against us. We should be aware of this reality.”
Ilham Aliyev added that Azerbaijan is going its own way and has managed to build very close relations with Europe.
“We have signed various documents with the European Union and work is underway on yet another document. The proposal sent to the European Commission on our initiative is currently being discussed, we are negotiating the cooperation format,” he added.
The president added that Azerbaijan has signed strategic partnership documents with nine member countries of the European Union.
“We have been working in the Council of Europe for 15 years and our positions there strengthen day by day,” he said. “We have even been able to make a breakthrough in that organization. Majority of the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe already see that there have been injustice and double standards towards us, and, today, the situation has become completely normal.”
Therefore, the president added, Azerbaijan has no problems with cooperation.