Baku, Azerbaijan, April 12
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Relations between Azerbaijan and the UK serve as an example for European countries, Azerbaijani President`s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov said, Trend reports.
He was speaking at the presentation of a book titled “Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom 100 Years of Partnership.”
He noted that the history of cooperation, which covers all areas, ranging from diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the UK, to economic, political and trade relations, is measured in a century.
“If systemic ties are concerned, we can celebrate the 100th anniversary of these relations,” he said. “However, relations between Azerbaijan and the UK, according to historical data, are recorded in the annals of about 16-17th centuries. History shows that Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Ireland, sent a letter with her envoy to Shah Tahmasp I of the Safavid dynasty. Thus, diplomatic and economic relations were established between England and the Safavids.”
Hasanov noted that during the years of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), the governor-general of the UK often came from Tbilisi to Baku and regulated further political, economic relations with Azerbaijan, and the UK actually recognized the ADR.
“In the subsequent period, not Azerbaijani-British relations, but the relations between the UK and the USSR were established in the subsequent period following the fall of the ADR,” Hasanov said. “The period of Azerbaijan’s independence covers a wide range of relations between the two countries.”
“The UK ambassador was the first ambassador accepted by national leader Heydar Aliyev, who returned to power in Azerbaijan in June 1993,” Hasanov noted. “At the end of July of the same year, an extended meeting took place between the British ambassador and Heydar Aliyev.”
Hasanov added that the UK then chaired the UN Security Council, and the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution No. 853 took place at the direct initiative of the UK during its chairmanship.
“When looking at the four resolutions of the UN Security Council on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one can see that the resolution No. 853 in the most precise formulations requires the unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories,” he said.
Hasanov noted that after this, in the true sense of this word, a period of creating a new history started in Azerbaijan.
“BP is a foreign company that has invested the greatest amount of investments in the energy sector of Azerbaijan,” he said. “BP played an important role in raising relations between Azerbaijan and the UK to a strategic level. Today, the UK is the biggest partner of Azerbaijan in Europe. The two countries established strategic relations in all spheres, and today’s relations in the economy, political, social and other spheres serve as an example and standard for the European countries.”
“We think that the UK will continue to play the role that it has played before in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, will support the recognition of Azerbaijan’s fair position in the international arena, the liberation of the occupied territories, the return of more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs to their native lands,” he added.