OFFICIAL NEWS
INTERNATIONAL BERTELSMANN FORUM 2006 COMMENCES IN BERLIN
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev arrived at the Federal Foreign Office to join leading representatives from 20 counties gathered here to discuss the future of the European continent.
The forum is dealing with a wide range of issues including the future of the Balkan states and the Black Sea region, Eastern Europe, West's strategies in the Middle East, migration and integration within Europe and others.
Werner Weidenfeld, member of the Executive Board of the Bertelsmann Foundation made opening remarks.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Commission President Manuel Barroso, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany gave keynote addresses.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the 1st session of the forum held under the title The Balkans and the Black Sea - A Litmus Test for Europe.
President Ilham Aliyev spoke of the legal, political and economic reforms in Azerbaijan.
“Today, the South Caucasus region is of significant importance to Europe, especially the delivery of the Caspian Sea energy resources to the world markets. But the region’s Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a huge obstacle to ties between Europe and South Caucasus. Europe should seek establishment of peace in the region through playing a key role in settlement of this dispute”, he said.
President Ilham Aliyev noted Azerbaijan today has become a significant oil and gas producing country, adding it is ready to play the role of a reliable partner in providing energy security in Europe.
Then President Ilham Aliyev, Romanian President Traian Basescu, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, Montenegrin Prime Minister and Armenian Foreign Minister had wide-ranging discussions.
President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan is actively involved in the European new neighborhood policy.
“Integration into the West is one of the major priorities of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy”, he noted.
The Azerbaijani leader reiterated his country’s stance on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Romanian President Traian Basescu who supported Azerbaijan’s position said the policy of protecting the rights of national minorities should not infringe upon territorial integrity of a state.
“It is impossible for each national minority to establish its own state, there is a practice of autonomy. Such conflicts should be solved on the base of these principles”, the Romanian leader noted.
President Ilham Aliyev said Armenia today is the only state that has no national minorities in its territory, describing it as a monostate.
“Creation of two Armenian states is impossible, it doesn’t meet any international legal standards and principles, including the European standards as well as poses a huge threat to Europe’s future”, he added.
The Azerbaijani leader also responded to a variety of questions covering global energy problems, the country’s oil and gas policy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and other projects as well as international problems.
The Forum’s first day ended with sessions entitled “Eastern Europe - New Power, Old Order” and “From the Middle East to the Hindu Kush - Collapse of Western Strategies?».
The International Bertelsmann Forum 2006 wraps up on September 23.
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President Ilham Aliyev also attended the official reception given in the Bertelsmann Foundation in honor of the participants of the International Bertelsmann Forum 2006.
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Later in the evening, President Ilham Aliyev addressed the “Challenge Democracy” event, which also involved Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and former Polish leader Aleksander Kwasniewski.
