Speech of Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev at the meeting of World Economic Forum - Davos, February 1, 2002


Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I greet you here, in New-York, at Davos Forum, which takes special importance in connection with events happened on September 11. All of us are concerned and very anxious after terror act committed in New -York City, the United States of America on September 11, 2001. Therefore, we are combining our efforts for fighting international terrorism together.

In this respect, the situation in Central Asia and Caucasus takes special importance. By the way, this meeting is dedicated to the discussion of their problems. Of course, there are many problems in every country and every region. There is a problem of equal importance and equal danger for all of us: this is the problem of international terrorism.

The sources of international terrorism are various. They emerge in different regions due to different reasons. As regards Central Asia and Caucasus, one may see that the aggressive separatism is the most frequently occurring reason amongst other ones. Separatism, especially the aggressive one, under any veil, contains terrorism and many other factors. Separatism leads to arms accumulation, as well as accumulation of financial resources due to illegal drugs turnover. Having the feature of separatism at the beginning, it becomes terrorism further.

As you know, Caucasus is being separatism-stricken over many yeas and military conflicts caused by separatism. Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Mountainous Garabagh, conflicts in Georgia - Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian, conflict in Chechnya, North Caucasus. Everywhere weapons, everywhere murders, everywhere use of force.

Separatism takes the form of terrorism and causes falling of separatist -ruled territories out of legal control. For instance, let us take the case of Mountainous Garabagh territory of Azerbaijan. The conflict at this territory was caused by separatism intention and turned into was between Armenia and Azerbaijan, subsequently Azerbaijan got some 16 thousand km2 of its territory out of control, saying more exactly, it fell under control of illegal armed units. Neither world community, nor any international organization controls this territory. Huge volume of armament is accumulated there; the illegal drugs turnover may be there. Hence, this is the source of conflict, source of terrorism.

Therefore, the source and various forms of terrorism must be taken into account while fighting international terrorism. Settlement of armed conflicts is a very serious and important measure for prevention of international terrorism.

I wish you successes in discussion of these topical issues. Thank you.

General historical background

Azerbaijanat World Economic Forum in Davos