Azerbaijan, 1994

Allow me, first, to express my sincere satisfaction on the

occasion of your election, Sir, as President of the General

Assembly at its forty-ninth session and to wish you every

success in your work.

I should like also to thank the President of the last

session, Mr. Samuel Insanally, for the work he did.

I express my deep gratitude to the Secretary-General,

Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his tireless efforts to

strengthen peace and security throughout the world. I

should like to extend to him my very special appreciation,

especially for his keen interest in the problems of our

young State, which is going through a complicated period

of its history.

It is with a sense of excitement and pride that I am

addressing this Assembly from the podium of the most

authoritative international forum. For the first time, the

President of an independent Azerbaijan is representing his

country before the international community, a country that

has been recognized by this community and has joined it

as an equal among equals.

The Azerbaijani people have striven for freedom for

centuries. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union

they gained their national independence. Our Republic

has embarked upon the road of constructing a law-based,

democratic and civilized State. This is a complicated

process; it cannot be completed overnight, but we are

steadily moving towards our goal. During a short period

of time a great deal has been accomplished, and all the

conditions have been created for the formation of a

law-based, democratic society. We have evolved in our

Republic a multi-party system, firmly based on the

principles of political pluralism and freedom of the

individual, speech, the press and conscience, as well as

principles of respect for human rights and the rule of law.

All citizens of multinational Azerbaijan enjoy equal

rights, irrespective of their racial, religious and linguistic

affiliations.

Political changes and the democratization of the

country have created the conditions for carrying out deep

economic reforms, ensuring a transition to a market

economy. We fully encourage the development of free

enterprise and private initiative. We are on the way to

realizing a large-scale privatization programme, using world

experience based upon common human values - on the

experience of leading countries that have already achieved

great success in constructing civilized, prosperous and

democratic societies.

Located at the important geopolitical junction of

Europe and Asia and the focus of the keen interest of many

Powers, possessing rich natural resources and a substantial

industrial potential and guided by the firm will and

confidence of the Azerbaijani people, we are carrying out

the strategy of strengthening our independence and

implementing democratic market reforms. Today, from this

lofty rostrum, I firmly declare that no one will be able to

make the Azerbaijani people stray from this path. We look

to the future of our country with optimism.

Our optimism is also linked with historic processes

taking place in the world as well as with profound changes

in the system of international relations. A world order

based on equal rights and replacing military and ideological

confrontation will certainly form the future basis of this

system. Partnership and enduring peace and security for

everyone, in accordance with international law and the

principles and provisions of the United Nations Charter, are

becoming the fundamental principles of the new world

order. We see the light at the end of the tunnel, a tunnel

leading from a world of hostility based on the use of force

to an era of cooperation and prosperity. We are ready to

walk along this road together, hand in hand with all the

other countries and peoples of the world.

However, the threats looming over mankind have not

been totally eliminated. Old stereotypes still exist, and

numerous problems, accumulated over decades of

confrontation, especially problems in the sphere of

disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass

destruction, have not yet been overcome. Relations

between States with different economic potentials still

suffer from the maladies of the past. Time is presenting us

with new challenges, challenges linked with environmental

difficulties and population and development problems.

Aggressive nationalism and separatism, giving birth to

conflicts in the Caucasus, the Balkans and other hot spots,

have become realities following the collapse of the old

world order. These conflicts not only hamper the

development of independent States and directly threaten the

very existence of fledgling democracies, but also threaten

international security as a whole.

That is why, in a post-confrontational world, a

special responsibility rests on the shoulders of

authoritative international organizations as well as on

those shoulders of the big Powers. Using their political

weight and their economic, financial and military

resources, they must more actively direct their potential

towards extinguishing the flame of conflicts and towards

the consolidation of peace, stability and security

throughout the world.

It goes without saying that in the construction of a

new world order there is a leading role for the United

Nations, which will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary next

year, and for its Security Council, which has extensive

experience in resolving a number of conflicts and crises.

However, the Security Council will still face the difficult

test of proving to the international community its

efficiency under new conditions. Today, as never before,

the Security Council is required to be more persistent in

achieving guaranteed implementation of its resolutions.

We hope that enlargement of the Council will contribute

to its strengthening.

We attach great importance to the role of the

General Assembly, which is primarily seen as ensuring

the closest possible interaction between States in the

decision-making process, on the basis of compromises

and the balance of interests.

Under present conditions, one should mention the

increased importance of the efficient use by the

Secretary-General of his powers, as well as the support

that must be given him by Member States, which share

with him the responsibility for strengthening international

peace and security.

Generally speaking, the Azerbaijani Republic is

optimistic about the future of the United Nations. We are

determined to continue to protect the lofty principles of

the United Nations and to seek improvement in the

authority and efficiency of the Organization.

For many of those present the notion of war and

armed conflict may, fortunately, be associated with

history or faraway events. But for my people it is a cruel

reality and a bloody daily routine.

For six years the flame of war has been blazing on

the land of Azerbaijan. The Republic of Armenia, under

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the pretext of realizing the right to self-determination of an

ethnic group of Armenians living in the Nagorny Karabakh

region of Azerbaijan, is openly carrying out plans to annex

the territories of our State, to forcibly change its State

borders and to expel the Azerbaijani people from their

homes.

All this is cloaked by an arbitrary interpretation of the

right of peoples to self-determination as meaning a right of

any ethnic community to proclaim itself independent and to

join another State. Such an interpretation of the right to

self-determination blatantly contradicts the principles of

State sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any attempt to

make this right absolute results in cruel conflicts, which we

have witnessed in our region and in other parts of our

planet.

The Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, has

expressed his concern on this issue, saying:

"... if every ethnic, religious or linguistic group

claimed statehood, there would be no limit to

fragmentation, and peace, security and economic

well-being for all would become ever more difficult to

achieve." (A/47/277, para. 17)

I fully agree with Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali that:

"The sovereignty, territorial integrity and

independence of States within the established

international system, and the principle of self-

determination for peoples, both of great value

and importance, must not be permitted to work

against each other in the period ahead."

(ibid, para. 19)

Being aware that the international community is

insufficiently, and sometimes unilaterally, informed about

events in our region, I should like to brief the Assembly on

the real situation.

Having created a powerful military build-up on the

territory of the Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, the

Republic of Armenia started intensive military activities

against our Republic. With the occupation of the town of

Shusha and of the Lachin region, the annexation of

Nagorny Karabakh was completed, and about 50,000

resident Azerbaijanis were ousted. Using the Nagorny

Karabakh springboard, Armenian armed forces then

occupied another six regions of Azerbaijan: Kalbajar,

Agdam, Fizuli, Djebrail, Zangelan and Kubatli, which, like

the Lachin region, are situated outside the former Nagorny

Karabakh autonomous region, with a territory four times

bigger than that of Nagorny Karabakh.

As a result of the aggression, more than 20 per cent

of the territory of Azerbaijan is under occupation by the

armed forces of the Republic of Armenia. I must

mention here the huge losses on the Azerbaijani side:

more than 20,000 killed, about 100,000 wounded and

6,000 taken prisoner. In addition, more than 1 million

Azerbaijanis - about 15 per cent of the population - have

become refugees and live in tents. In their own country

they have been deprived of shelter, and they suffer from

heat, cold and epidemics, and experience shortages of

their basic needs. Seven hundred towns and villages have

been levelled on the occupied Azerbaijani territories;

practically all the houses, schools, hospitals, and ancient

monuments have been burned down and looted.

I think there is no need to prove that here we are

dealing not with the realization of the right to

self-determination, but with a gross violation of

international law, in the form of aggression against the

sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence

of a United Nations Member State.

The war has created unbearable conditions for my

people. It aggravates social tension and hampers the

implementation of economic and political reforms aimed

at the democratization of Azerbaijani society.

As a result of the war, the Azerbaijani people have

suffered a huge material loss, amounting to billions of

dollars. As for the moral damage inflicted on human life

and destiny, there is hardly anything to compare to the

sorrow and pain of my people.

Blood is being shed now, not only in Azerbaijan, but

also in other hot spots of the world. Peoples must not

remain indifferent to these tragic events. Collective

efforts should be made in order to prevent the escalation

of armed conflicts and to achieve their just and lasting

resolution.

During the past two years the Security Council

adopted four resolutions and its President has made six

statements in connection with the occupation of

Azerbaijani territories by armed forces of the Republic of

Armenia.

In all its resolutions the Security Council reaffirms

the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Azerbaijani

Republic; emphasizes the inadmissibility of the use of

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force for the acquisition of territory; it strongly demands

the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of

all occupying forces from all the occupied regions of

Azerbaijan; and calls for the return of refugees to their

homes.

But all these decisions have so far been completely

ignored by the Republic of Armenia. Moreover, Armenia

continues to build up its military presence in the occupied

territories of Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, the Security Council has also failed

to put into effect the mechanism for implementing the

resolutions. Here we face a question: to what extent is the

Security Council consistent and resolute, and how is the

degree of application of its powers in each case defined?

Non-compliance with the decisions of the Security

Council does not serve the interests of the United Nations,

and may undermine confidence in its abilities to achieve its

main objective: the maintenance of international peace and

security.

Experience gained in the process of settling regional

conflicts shows that the efforts to implement resolutions

succeed only when endorsed by the political-military means

envisaged in the United Nations Charter.

The duty of the most authoritative international

organization in the world community is to take effective

measures with respect to the aggressor State, which is

blatantly violating norms of international law.

In the efforts to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani

conflict, we rely on such an authoritative organization as

the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe

(CSCE). The Minsk Group, created by the CSCE for the

settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, also

proceeds on the basis of the necessity for the evacuation of

all the occupied territories and the complete withdrawal of

the occupying forces beyond the boundaries of Azerbaijan.

It also calls for respect for the sovereignty, territorial

integrity and internationally recognized borders of

Azerbaijan.

However, unfortunately, the numerous mediation

efforts of the CSCE have not yet brought about any

tangible, concrete results, due to the lack of appropriate

mechanisms.

Only now do we have the first positive result. At the

cost of enormous efforts, and owing to active mediation by

the Russian Federation and the CSCE Minsk Group, a

cease-fire has been achieved in the conflict zone. The

fighting and bloodshed have been stopped for more than

four months. We greatly appreciate all this. But the

situation still remains very complicated and the truce is

very fragile.

The Republic of Armenia has put forward an

illegitimate condition, that of exchanging part of the

occupied Azerbaijani territories for independent status for

the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Azerbaijani Republic.

It demands that it keep its military presence in this

Azerbaijani region and that it control the town of Shusha

and the Lachin region of Azerbaijan, which implies

consolidation of its annexation of our territories.

Armenia completely excludes the restoration of the

demographic composition of Nagorny Karabakh as it was

at the beginning of the conflict and the return of the

Azerbaijani population, including its return to one of the

ancient centres of Azerbaijani culture, the town of

Shusha. On these conditions, Armenia, ignoring the

Security Council’s resolutions, proposes the deployment

of an international separation force along the perimeter of

the occupied Nagorny Karabakh region of Azerbaijan,

thus trying to turn it into a tool for freezing the situation

and to make it a hostage of its annexationist policy.

The position of the Azerbaijani Republic has always

been constructive and peace-loving. Despite all the

damage inflicted upon us, we propose peace to the

Armenian side on the basis of international law, justice

and humanism. We are prepared to provide guarantees to

the Armenian population of Nagorny Karabakh. We

favour the restoration, on a mutual basis, of

communications in the region, including the humanitarian

corridor between Nagorny Karabakh and the Republic of

Armenia. We are also prepared to discuss the status of

Nagorny Karabakh within the Azerbaijani State.

However, there are norms and principles that we

consider eternal: the sovereignty and territorial integrity

of our country, the evacuation of all the occupied

territories and the return of refugees to their homes,

including the return of 50,000 Azerbaijani refugees to

their native land in Nagorny Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani Republic, while it still wants a

peaceful political settlement, considers that only the

elimination of the consequences of aggression, through

the implementation of Security Council resolutions, will

make it possible to carry on a stable and productive

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negotiating process, with the goal of establishing a durable,

stable cease-fire and ensuring security for all the people of

the region. Here we count on the assistance of the world

community to ensure the realization of coordinated peaceful

decisions on the basis of a precise mandate for peace-

keepers in accordance with international norms.

We highly appreciate the cease-fire agreement. We

realize that it does not mean peace yet, but it creates the

necessary conditions for its rapid achievement. On several

occasions we have voiced our firm resolution to observe the

cease-fire regime until the peace agreement is reached and

there is a total cessation of the military conflict. I repeat

that today from this lofty rostrum of the United Nations.

We support the peace-keeping activities of the CSCE

Minsk Group and the Russian Federation, and favour the

consolidation of their efforts against any kind of

competition in the process of settling the conflict. Such

competition could only complicate the achievement of

peace, which is needed equally by the peoples of

Azerbaijan and of Armenia.

Our demands for the complete evacuation of all

occupied Azerbaijani territories are legitimate; they are in

full conformity with Security Council resolutions. Attempts

to annex any regions are unacceptable to us and go against

the norms of international law.

As a result of a war thrust upon us, an extremely

difficult humanitarian situation has emerged in the

Republic. Every seventh person in a country with a

population of 7 million is a refugee, lacking a home, work

and means for existence. Suffering from harsh miseries,

refugees and displaced persons are staying in tent camps.

The severe winter conditions and the lack of necessary food

and medicines have created a threat of epidemics and

famine among the most vulnerable group of the population.

Overcoming the extremely grave refugee situation has

become one of the major concerns of the Azerbaijani State.

International organizations and a number of States

have responded to the urgent appeal of our Republic, and

we express our most sincere gratitude to the Governments

of Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan,

Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark, which have

become the largest donors to the United Nations

programmes of humanitarian assistance to Azerbaijan. We

are also grateful to the Governments of Turkey, Iran, Saudi

Arabia and other countries for their considerable

humanitarian assistance within the framework of bilateral

relations, and to the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee

of the Red Cross, the United Nations Children’s Fund,

Doctors Without Borders and numerous non-governmental

organizations which have rendered invaluable assistance

to the refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan.

The role and place of my country in international

relations are influenced by its geographical location and

socio-political orientation, as well as the historical-cultural

traditions of a land where Western and Eastern

civilizations have merged. It is with an awareness of

these peculiarities and the challenges of change that we

are building, step by step, our cooperation with the

outside world. Since the international recognition of the

Azerbaijani Republic, we have established equal, balanced

relations with the overwhelming majority of States, and

we have joined a number of world and regional

organizations. We have made serious efforts to expand

our international relations and to restore the links that

were lost due to certain conditions. Attaching special

importance to historical, geographical, economic and

humanitarian links with the independent States that have

emerged on the territory of the former Soviet Union, we

favour the development of equal cooperation with them,

in particular with Russia, both on the basis of bilateral

relations and within the framework of the Commonwealth

of Independent States.

Azerbaijan is developing friendly relations with the

United States, the United Kingdom, France and China.

Close good-neighbourly ties link us with the countries of

our region and of adjacent regions, countries such as

Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan, with

which we closely cooperate within the Organization of the

Islamic Conference.

Azerbaijan’s accession in May this year to the

Partnership for Peace programme of the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization was an important event in the

political life of our country. This programme attracts us

with the idea of cooperation and interaction in the

interests of common security. I welcome the accession of

the former members of the Warsaw Pact to this

programme. This fact gives hope to the whole of the

Eurasian continent for peaceful cooperation, thereby

ensuring security, progress and prosperity for all peoples,

and thereby eventually eliminating the possibility of the

emergence of new adversarial blocs. We hope that

participation in the NATO programme will enhance the

role of our country in the building of a new European

security structure.

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This year the Azerbaijan Republic was accorded the

status of Observer in the Non-Aligned Movement, a step

that provides us with a broad opportunity for the

establishment of bilateral contacts in various fields and for

the rapprochement of our positions with those of the States

members of the Movement.

The accession of the young Azerbaijani State to the

United Nations as a full Member in January 1992 marked

the most important stage in the development of our country.

The scope of our cooperation with many United Nations

international agencies has been expanding ever since.

We appreciate especially the cooperation we enjoy

with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World

Bank. Concrete projects that are of great importance for

the socio-economic development of our country have been

elaborated as a result of the practical work of experts

representing these large financial institutions. We assume

that many possibilities exist for our fruitful cooperation

with international financial institutions. We understand the

prudence and concern demonstrated by the heads of the

IMF and the World Bank with regard to the war conditions

in which the Azerbaijani Republic has been engaged. At

the same time, however, the IMF has given a structural

adjustment loan to Armenia, which is in a state of war with

us. We consider that justice requires at least a balanced

approach in this matter.

We are expecting a great deal from the United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP) in the way of technical

assistance in the drawing up of national programmes for the

development of market economy infrastructures, and

assistance to enable our country make progress towards

modern management methods and the application of

advanced technologies.

We attach especial attention to international economic

cooperation, and it is with deep satisfaction that I should

like to inform you that on 20 September 1994, as a result

of long and difficult negotiations, the Azerbaijani Republic

signed a contract with a consortium of large international

oil companies for the joint development of the off-shore

oilfields for a 30-year term in the Azerbaijani sector of the

Caspian Sea.

This landmark economic endeavour testifies to our

policy of openness to the whole world, as well as to our

policy of liberalizing the economy and attracting foreign

investment. The signing of this unique contract will

promote the strengthening of cooperation and

rapprochement among the peoples and countries

participating in its implementation, that is, Azerbaijan, the

United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Turkey,

Norway and Saudi Arabia.

In mentioning this, I should like once again to

underline the fact that the Azerbaijani Republic is seeking

full-fledged integration into the world community and has

the full capacity to do so. For that reason the core of its

policy is the aspiration for peace, and we pin great hopes

on the United Nations in assisting us to achieve this

peace.

The Azerbaijani people have placed great confidence

in me in electing me President of a young, independent

State, and today it has been my privilege to convey to

you its deepest aspirations. I leave this lofty rostrum of

the General Assembly in the hope that the voice of my

people will be heard by the members of the Assembly

and that it will pave the way to their hearts.