Details added (first version posted on 14:25)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 15
Trend:
Successful foreign policy of Azerbaijan is backed by logical and prudent policy of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as flexible decisions taken by him and instructions given by him, Deputy Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told Trend on Oct. 15.
Hajiyev stressed that under the leadership of President Aliyev, Azerbaijan has achieved significant success in all areas of state-building, as well as in the foreign policy.
"The Republic of Azerbaijan, literally, is a country pursuing an independent foreign policy,” he said. “The basis of this independent policy is the national interests of Azerbaijan and the interests of the country's citizens.”
“This strategy, which was founded by Azerbaijan's great leader Heydar Aliyev, taking into account historical experience, geopolitical realities, is implemented on the basis of pragmatic and realistic principles on a multilateral and balanced basis,” he said. “One must recognize that not every country is able to carry out an independent foreign policy."
“Azerbaijani people fully support the president’s foreign policy line,” Hajiyev said.
“Successful foreign policy of Azerbaijan is underway despite the ongoing aggression of Armenia, psychological war, disinformation campaigns being conducted by the Armenian lobby and its patrons against our country,” he said. “The result of this purposeful activity was that the entire international community supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, inviolability of the borders of Azerbaijan and considers it necessary to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict on the basis of these principles.”
Hajiyev stressed that Azerbaijan, located in a complex geopolitical region, is an island of stability.
"As the president stressed, today stability and security are fully ensured in Azerbaijan; there are no sources of internal threat in our country,” he said. “Through flexible and principled foreign policy, all external threats are prevented. An atmosphere of favorable cooperation around our country, as well as a fertile ground for internal development are created. At the same time, the internal development of our country ensures the independence and ability for strategic maneuver of our foreign policy."
Hajiyev added that Azerbaijan, pursuing foreign policy in conditions of tense international relations on the basis of the norms and principles of international law, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and does not allow any circles to interfere in its internal affairs.
"The Republic of Azerbaijan is a decent, reliable and responsible member of international relations,” he said. “The authority and diplomatic resources possessed by our country are not limited to the region of the location - they are of international nature.”
“The geography and content of our bilateral cooperation is constantly expanding, the number of supporters of Azerbaijan is growing,” Hajiyev said. “Our country with various cooperation projects contributes to the expansion of the borders of peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond. In other words, Azerbaijan today is an exporter of security and stability. Moreover, Azerbaijan directly supports the efforts of the international community to prevent modern threats."
“Baku, today, acts as a diplomatic capital in international relations,” he added. “It is not coincidence that countries and institutions, having completely different views, even contradictions, choose Baku as the venue for dialogue.”
"The tripartite regional cooperation format, initiated by Azerbaijan, is recognized internationally as a diplomatic innovation and complements our bilateral relations, creates new opportunities for cooperation,” Hajiyev said.
“Azerbaijan, which does not have access to the seas, thanks to the far-sighted policy of President Aliyev, is the author of transport projects connecting the world's oceans and continents along the East-West, North-South, South-West routes,” he added. “Azerbaijan is a country contributing to the global energy security, including the energy security of Europe.”
“Our active bilateral diplomatic efforts are accompanied by consistent steps taken on a multilateral basis,” Hajiyev added. “Azerbaijan is taking a principled and decisive position on fundamental issues on the international agenda."
“In conditions of intense diplomatic competition in 2012-2013, Azerbaijan, with the support of 155 countries, was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which once again demonstrated the international community’s high confidence in our country,” he said. “Azerbaijan with honor and high professionalism carried out its task as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council, authored a number of initiatives that are topical to the international agenda."
“Azerbaijan’s membership in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as well as in the Executive Council of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2017-2019, and representation of the country in the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018-2022 testify to the confidence and support of the international community for Azerbaijan,” he said.
“Moreover, in 2019-2022, Azerbaijan will chair the Non-Aligned Movement, where 120 countries are represented.”
"In international organizations, in which our country is a member, Azerbaijan acts as an initiator, rather than as a spectator, and plays an important role in shaping the organizations' agenda,” he said. “Along with international organizations, in which Azerbaijan is a full member, cooperation ties are developing with the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other institutions. Azerbaijan has diplomatic missions in about 80 countries. Azerbaijan reached these diplomatic achievements during a 15-year period."
“Successful foreign policy of Azerbaijan is backed by a well-considered, logical and prudent policy of President Aliyev, his busy work schedule, numerous and intensive meetings, foreign visits, speeches at prestigious international events, as well as flexible decisions taken by him and instructions given by him,” Hajiyev said. “Foreign policy covers a long-term perspective. There are a number of initiatives and projects put forward today by the president in the field of foreign policy, the benefits of which the Azerbaijani people will see in the coming decades.”
"In international socio-political and scientific circles, foreign policy being pursued by countries is explained by such various theoretical models, doctrines and concepts as “smart”, “soft”, “hard power”, etc.,” he said. “It is not by chance that President Aliyev’s foreign policy is assessed and characterized as Intelligent Foreign Policy.”