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Azertag November 20, 2009 BAKU HOSTS “IMPEDIMENTS TO SECURITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS” INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars projects...stimulate the development of regional cooperation, and also is important from the security standpoint....Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of the European security architecture...the country plays an important role in ensuring European energy security. -Azerbaijan is the only country in the post-Soviet space usefully and really cooperating with the West. -Armenia has violated international law and occupied Azerbaijani lands, Vladimir Socor, senior fellow of the Jamestown Foundation, USA, noted. He stressed the necessity of an undertaking by NATO of analogous steps in this conflict taken for the settlement of the conflicts in the Balkans and former Yugoslavia. -Dr. Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, USA, Dr. Irnerio Seminatore, President of the European Institute for International Relations, Belgium, and Elshad Nasirov, vice-president of SOCAR, Azerbaijan, noted the special role of Azerbaijan in the production and transportation of hydrocarbon resources in ensuring the energy security of the West. Baku: An international conference titled “Impediments to Security in the South Caucasus: Current Realities and Future Prospects for Regional Development”, supported by the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic and the British International Institute for Strategic Studies, has been held today in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan. The goal of the Conference attended by representatives of leading world research centers was to discuss current realities in the South Caucasus region and have a comprehensive exchange of views on future prospects of regional development, security issues, peace and cooperation. Speaking at the event, Elnur Aslanov, head of the Political Analysis and Information Department of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan Republic, said regional security and cooperation issues are in the focus of Azerbaijan, which pursues an independent [sic] policy that enables the country to develop regional cooperation. Azerbaijan`s role in regional security is also connected to its ability to develop regional projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars projects, according to the orator, stimulate the development of regional cooperation, and also is important from the security standpoint. Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of the European security architecture, Mr. Aslanov stressed, adding that the country plays an important role in ensuring European energy security. Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Aslanov stated that the conflict is a real threat for regional security, and a challenge for the stability in world. The European Union, in his words, has to play an active role in the settlement of the conflict and call on Armenia to take a constructive position, as it is in the interest of Europe, too. Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia are uncontrolled and used for narcotic production and drug trafficking, Aslanov emphasized. .... Novruz Mammadov, head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Administration of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, said Azerbaijan is the only country in the post-Soviet space usefully and really cooperating with the West. To our great regret, in this question Azerbaijan has faced double standards from the West, he noted. Foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states having attended the ceremony of the signing of the protocols between Turkey and Armenia in the Swiss city of Zurich have to show a concrete position connected to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mammadov underlined. The protracted conflicts have created real jeopardy in the South Caucasus, Ms. Oksana Antonenko, senior fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK, said. She called on the international community to increase efforts for resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Armenia has violated international law and occupied Azerbaijani lands, Vladimir Socor, senior fellow of the Jamestown Foundation, USA, noted. He stressed the necessity of an undertaking by NATO of analogous steps in this conflict taken for the settlement of the conflicts in the Balkans and former Yugoslavia. In this sense, he said, the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations has to be carried out in parallel with the conflict settlement. Speaking at the second plenary session of the Conference, “East-West Energy Corridor: Challenges and Opportunities”, Dr. Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, USA, Dr. Irnerio Seminatore, President of the European Institute for International Relations, Belgium, and Elshad Nasirov, vice-president of SOCAR, Azerbaijan, noted the special role of Azerbaijan in the production and transportation of hydrocarbon resources in ensuring the energy security of the West. The conference was followed by discussions of working groups. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato Blog site: http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/ To subscribe, send an e-mail to: [email protected] or [email protected] Daily digest option available. ==============================
