Speech of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the Millennium summit ‎in New York - September 7, 2000‎

Distinguished Mr. Chairman!

Distinguished colleagues!

Ladies and gentlemen!

The 20th century is coming to an end. This century will be marked in the memory of the mankind with moral-intellectual progress along with bloods shed in the two world wars, collapse of empires and birth of dozens of new sovereign states, tensions connected with the "cold war" and collective efforts for peace and stability. But what will be with the world in the coming century?

Confrontation of two systems has gone into history. Victory and spread of democratic and press market ideas must help the establishment of such a world where the interests of all states will be taken into consideration and a real and equal partnership will emerge. But analysis of the dynamics of the international development brings us to a bitter conclusion that rivalry stereotypes have not yet been rooted out. We live in a very difficult period and a wrong step can destroy everything and take us to the tragic past. We must traverse a hard road in order to build just and secure world order, and we all must try to achieve this goal.

The main tendency in the current stage of development of the world is globalization. The prospects of this complicated and not unambiguous process make all of us think about it. Globalization has to assist the stable development, integrity, stabilization of management systems of states, elimination of discrimination in economic relations and improvement welfare of peoples. Along with the supremacy of the principles and norms of the international law, evolutional changes, partnership and assistance from most developed countries to underdeveloped ones, mutual confidence and devotion to universal values, acceptance of national differences must be defining directions of this process. The power of democratic development is in its diversity.

Azerbaijan contributes to globalization in a positive sense. My country efficiently realizes its role as a bridge between the West and East by making use of its rich strategically favorable geographic position, resources and potential. This bridge begins from the rich historical part of Azerbaijan and has been aimed at future. 

We spend great efforts for the restoration of the Great Silk Road, establishment of the Europe- Caucasus-Asian transport corridor and for the production of the carbohydrate reserves of the Caspian basin and its transportation to the world markets. These projects are vital for the free and perfect development of the countries of several regions and will enhance the supranational cooperation and have a positive impact on the formation of favorable the global conditions.

But external threats and internal problems, exertion of pressures and involvement in struggle for spheres of influence do not let young and fragile democracies to reinforce and develop their statehood, to be busy with peaceful state-building and independently follow their paths which meet the interests and desires of their nations. They have been involved in a ruthless fight for their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity from the very day of their existence.

The states suffering from the occupation of their territories and ethnic cleansing and terrorism justifiably expect the UN take maximally effective steps for ensuring just peace and security, and for the protection of the principles of its charter.

Unfortunately, the Southern Caucasus has become a region where these problems and challenges manifest themselves clearly. Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, the aggression which brought countless calamities to millions of people is the main destabilizing factor in the Southern Caucasus.

In the course of this aggression, the Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of the territories of Azerbaijan, conducted ethnic cleansing and forced one million Azerbaijanis to leave their native homes. In regard to this issue the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions which unambiguously confirmed the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan and demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. But the Security Council decisions have stayed on paper since 1993 until this day.

Since 1992, the OSCE is being engaged with the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, but its activity has not brought any results so far. The bilateral negotiation between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia continues, but they have not yet produced any results. We are committed to ceasefire more than six years, but it is not the solution of the problem as well. I'm calling on to take necessary steps for the fulfillment of the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

It is impossible to achieve peace and stability in the region without the solution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict without the solution of other existing conflicts, without putting an end to external pressures, and with the presence of foreign troops as well.

Accordance of political integrity and the status of neutrality to the Southern Caucasus would give an opportunity to the states of the region to establish normal mutual relations and to integrate to the world economic system harmonically.

I thank all the organizations in the UN system and donor countries for their aid to the Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs who have been living in a disastrous situation for 8 years. We greatly need this vitally important humanitarian aid to be continued and increased for those people until their return to their living places.

The United Nations bears great responsibility for the fate of the world and we have high hopes for him. A serious and rational reform must increase the effectiveness of the organization, as well as that of the Security Council.

At the end of my speech I would like to emphasize that we all bear the responsibility for peace and security in the planet, and I want to express my confidence that the outcomes of "The millennium summit" would be a reliable foundation for our road towards the 21st century.