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Azerbaijan has no plans to place foreign troops

Politics Materials 31 October 2005 14:29 (UTC +04:00)

“Azerbaijan has no any foreign troops or soldiers. We don’t plan it in the future as well,” Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani President, stated in an interview to Turkish mass media, Trend reports. He was commenting the report of the world media on placement of foreign troops or military base in the country.

“I repeatedly stated that we had no such plans and the issue was not under discussion. The U.S. senior officials also hold the same position on the issue. Interested sides probably want to exaggerate it artificially,” he said.

Aliyev also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation of the country with the NATO. “During 10 years we participated in the program on Partnership for Peace and have joined new program on cooperation recently. Action plan on individual partnership has been presented and new stage of the cooperation will start between Azerbaijan and the NATO,” he added. In reply to the question on possible joining the NATO, the head of the country noted that “we approach to all these issues in the real point of view”. “We know our real opportunities and events taking place in the region. We understand that our membership in the authoritative organizations is the issue, which might not be solved for one day. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan takes major steps to establish normal cooperation. Our relations with the Council of Europe and the NATO is in very high level and satisfy us,” he underlined.

As to the question on the steps taken by Azerbaijan to remove blockade in the regard to the Cyprus Turks, Aliyev stressed that “we want everything to be solved in fair way. We remember that at the referendum the Cyprus Turks supported unification of the country, while the other side voted against it. At that time UN and other organizations proposed to end with the isolation. It is very important that Azerbaijan followed by other Turkish countries and after the members of the Islam Conference Organization to take similar steps”.

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