Dear forum participants,
I heartily congratulate you on the occasion of the start in the Azerbaijani capital Baku of the Seventh General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties and wish this important international event every success. I think that holding of this event on the subject of peace, security and cooperation in Asia in Baku is an indicator of the growing authority and credibility of Azerbaijan in the region.
This authoritative structure uniting more than 300 political parties of Asia and Oceania is a successful platform for the development of cooperation between our countries. From this point of view, I think it is commendable that the International Conference of Asian Political Parties is paying special attention to the challenges facing the modern world.
The role and importance of Asian countries in the emergence of a modern political situation in our globalizing world are enhancing every day. Asia is currently becoming the economic center of the world. The assertion of new economic models underlying the dynamic development of leading Asian countries forms major trends in the global economic system. With its rich culture, great economic potential and human resources, the modernizing Asia contributes to the future of humanity. Azerbaijan, which is marking the 21st anniversary of its state independence with a great economic and social recovery, has also developed the “Azerbaijani model” of economic development.
Along with these positive trends we are pleased to observe, we are seriously concerned about poverty, instability, ethnic and religious conflicts, terror and separatism, local conflicts and confrontations in several Asian countries.
From this perspective, the unresolved status of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of the key factors impeding economic stability, security, cooperation and development in the region. As a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, 20 per cent of Azerbaijani territory – Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts – have been under occupation for over 20 years. A policy of ethnic cleansing has been carried out on the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories, more than a million people have become refugees and IDPs. Ancient cultural monuments, schools, museums, mosques in these territories have been destroyed, cemeteries desecrated, unique masterpieces of world civilization razed to the ground.
There are four UN Security Council resolutions on the settlement of the conflict, decisions and resolutions of the UN General Assembly, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international organizations. But Armenia ignores them all. For this reason, Azerbaijan’s efforts aimed at a negotiated settlement of this conflict, which poses the biggest threat to sustainable peace and security in the region, within the framework of international law remain futile.
Dear forum participants,
I am sure that you will have a fruitful exchange of views during the Seventh General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, make important decisions to ensure and strengthen international peace, security and cooperation. At the same time, I have no doubt that member-states of the General Assembly, drawing on each other’s experience, will properly assess the new opportunities in the field of international and regional cooperation and make a worthy contribution to the solution of urgent problems of our time.
I wish the General Assembly success again and all of you good health, happiness and the best of luck in your efforts towards a broad dialogue on the path of peace and cooperation.
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Baku city, 16 November 2012
