Belgium, Brussels / corr. Trend R.Emilli / The Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Araz Azimov, said at the press conference in Brussels that Azerbaijan should become closer to a new stage of relations with EU as partners and as partners integrated as a whole, Trend Special Correspondent reports.
" Azerbaijan and other partner nations could build up mutually effective and beneficial relations, probably serving the goal of development and progress in the South Caucasus," he said. According to him, within his visit to Brussels, he also reported on the policies of Azerbaijan, regional concerns and risks. "We have concluded a memorandum on energy partnership between the EU and Azerbaijan in November last year. Today we are implementing this memorandum which will take Azerbaijan to a better place in terms of development of internal infrastructures as well as energy saving policies and the search for alternative energy sources as well as to develop democratic majors in energy market inside," Azimov said.
"Relations with neighboring countries and that is to be said that we are concerned with the developments on the south. And we hope that issues will be solved peacefully. We are concerned with the situation in our conflict zone and we hope that we can count on the support of the EU and for which I was pledged by the way, in terms of political settlement. A settlement that will bring Azerbaijan and Armenia together as one region of Karabakh within the territorially integrally Azerbaijan provided with self rule states and making outreach economically and culturally to international community. Guarantees for that will be provided by international community jointly including by EU. Azerbaijan is ready to contribute. There is no war solution to the conflict. But probably Azerbaijan will continue to stand of the principled position. Any territorial secession will not be accepted. There is only one chance to build peace. That is within the territorial framework of Azerbaijan. That should clearly be explained and understood by the Armenian side. I hope that there shall be pluralism in Armenia about solutions of the conflict and I hope that at least a few people there will speak in favour of peace with Azerbaijan and in favour of a settlement on the basis of principles," Azimov said.