Historical background to the document of "Speech of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev at the meeting with the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan" (New York, UN HQ, July 28, 1997)


The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev held important meetings at the UN HQ during his first official visit to the United States, from July 27-to August 7, 1997. He signed the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon Tests on behalf of Azerbaijan, on July 28, 1997. (Together Towards the New Century, official visit of Heydar Aliyev, The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the US, 27 july-7 August, p.140.)

The head of the state of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev met with the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and informed him of the policy of the country towards the world community and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Heydar Aliyev reminded him the non-compliance of Armenia with the UN resolutions related to the conflict.

Kofi Annan said to Heydar Aliyev that the UN recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The Secretary General declared the urgency to release the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and return of IDPs to their lands. (ibid. p.144.)

Heydar Aliyev told reporters in his interview after the meeting that Azerbaijan never applied for the UN peace-keepers in the region of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and Kofi Annan also supported the idea of OSCE peace-keeping forces. (http://www.un.org/)

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Kofi Annan during his attendance of the UN General Assembly session in September 2004. In his conversation with him, Ilham Aliyev once again talking about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karbakh conflict said that he believed, being an influential organization, the UN would not stay indifferent to the Armenian non-compliance with its resolutions. Kofi Annan said he hoped for peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh issue. (http://www.un-az.org/)

Historical background was compiled on February 27, 2007.