BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28
Trend:
The unprecedented level of unity of the people and the fighting spirit of the army under the wise leadership of President Ilham Aliyev brought victory to Azerbaijan in the fair Second Karabakh War, Kyrgyz Ambassador to the country Kairat Osmonaliyev told Trend.
“For almost three decades, Azerbaijan consistently tried to achieve justice, trying to return its occupied territories [occupied by Armenia] without resorting to military actions which are an exclusive option,” Osmonaliyev said. “Azerbaijan, despite the huge difficulties caused by the occupation, appearance of almost one million refugees and other negative consequences of the Karabakh conflict, was able not only to overcome them but also embarked on the path of sustainable development.”
“Over the past decade, indicators in the economy and social sphere have improved significantly, while this progress is obvious,” the ambassador noted.
He also noted that currently, Azerbaijan faces the task to restore the infrastructure of the territories liberated from Armenian occupation [in the Second Karabakh War] in the shortest possible time and ensure the return of internally displaced persons, creating all the necessary conditions for a safe and comfortable life.
“Azerbaijan will be able to do this successfully since it has not only necessary financial resources but also the support of the country's leadership from the Azerbaijani people and the progressive world community, Osmonaliyev further said. “Investments will be attracted and loans from abroad will be received, since Azerbaijan has proven itself in the eyes of the international community as a reliable partner, firmly adhering to the norms and principles of international law, vitally interested in maintaining and ensuring peace and security both in the South Caucasus and all around the world.”
First of all, as he stressed, it’s necessary to resolve the issues of opening all communications and transport highways [which were closed since the First Karabakh War in 1990s], and to build new ones.
“Azerbaijan seeks to resolve these issues and is open to constructive dialogue with Armenia. Hopefully, implementation of integration projects to be mutually beneficial for the countries of the South Caucasus region will begin in the future in cooperation with the Central Asian countries” the diplomat said.
“That is why the leadership of our country has proposed the creation of an interregional "Central Asia - South Caucasus" (5 + 3) platform, which will give impetus to integration projects in the political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres,” he said.
Osmonaliyev also noted that the implementation of projects based on the interregional platform in the "5 + 3" format will open up new opportunities for neighboring countries - China, Turkey, and Iran.
“Within the bilateral cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, we propose to move to the level of strategic partnership, which will allow us to cooperate more effectively in all mutually beneficial areas,” the ambassador pointed out. “For example, it’s planned to establish an Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz Development Fund, part of which could be used by Kyrgyz construction organizations in the format of participation in the restoration of the infrastructure of the liberated Azerbaijani territories.”
He stressed that these and other issues of mutual interest will be the subject of discussion during the planned visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov to Azerbaijan.
“Kyrgyzstan has the political will to intensify relations between our countries,” concluded the ambassador.