The Jakarta Post
January 18, 2008 Friday
AZERBAIJAN 'WANTS TO RESOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE PEACEFULLY
from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 -- PAGE 10 Despite
its abundant oil resources and growing military might, Azerbaijan has
said it wants to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue through peaceful
means and diplomatic channels
The Azerbaijan Armed Forces have an annual defense budget of some
$1US billion a year in 2007, equivalent to its rival Armenia's entire
annual budget, thanks to windfall profits from soaring oil prices
Azerbaijan became the world's fastest-growing economy, at 26.4% in
2005 and 35% in 2006
"Azerbaijan is now looking for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict, to elaborate and define the model and legal
frameworks for the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within
Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Ambassador to Indonesia Ibrahim A
Hajiyev told reporters Thursday
The ambassador was speaking at the Azerbaijani Embassy during a book
launch ceremony. The book, titled The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict,
contains information on the history of Armenian territorial claims to
Azerbaijan, separatist and terrorist forces in Armenia and its
military aggression against Azerbaijan
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict was released by the Azerbaijan
government through its Embassy in Jakarta, in two languages; English
and Indonesian
The book, Hajiyev said, was published to remind the international
community, including Indonesia, of the dangers of international
terrorism, aggressive nationalism and separatist circles in the world
today
Based on its territorial claims, Armenia started a military conflict
with Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, in 1988 and waged a full-
fledged war in 1991
The war had devastating effects on Azerbaijani people
"The Armenian aggression resulted in the occupation of Nagorno-
Karabakh and seven other regions of Azerbaijan (20 percent of entire
Azerbaijan territory). Due to the (Armenian) policy of ethnic
cleansing, around one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and
were displaced," Ambassador Hajiyev said
Since 1994 when a cease-fire agreement was signed, Hajiyev said, the
occupied Azerbaijani territories had became a gray area, out of the
control of the Azerbaijani government and free from any international
monitoring
"This has been posing a constant threat to peace and security in the
region and the world at large
"(Hence), peace talks are still needed between the two nations to
decide the future of the disputed territories," Hajiyev said
While commenting on relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia,
Musurifun, the Foreign Ministry's sub-directorate head of South and
Central Asia, said relations were in excellent shape
"We have excellent relations with Azerbaijan, which is very rich in
oil. We want to strengthen our relations further. We will soon sign
several bilateral agreements and MoUs," he said at the launching
ceremony
Musurifin commended Azerbaijan's decision to resolve the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict through peaceful means
"Indonesia has always extended support for a peaceful resolution to
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Musurifun said
When asked about the opening of an Indonesian Embassy, Musurifun said
Indonesia was seriously considering opening an embassy in Baku, but
declined to comment on the date of opening
"We are looking forward to having an Embassy in Azerbaijan. It will
take some time," he said
While Azerbaijan is a new partner to Indonesia, trade between the two
countries has been growing at a tremendous rate
In 2005, the bilateral trade value was just $1US.7 million but soared
to $67.62 million in 2006. In the first eight months of 2007, the
bilateral trade value jumped to $100.51 million, largely due to
Indonesian imports of oil products from Azerbaijan
Esther Samboh and Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post
January 18, 2008 Friday
AZERBAIJAN 'WANTS TO RESOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE PEACEFULLY
from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 -- PAGE 10 Despite
its abundant oil resources and growing military might, Azerbaijan has
said it wants to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue through peaceful
means and diplomatic channels
The Azerbaijan Armed Forces have an annual defense budget of some
$1US billion a year in 2007, equivalent to its rival Armenia's entire
annual budget, thanks to windfall profits from soaring oil prices
Azerbaijan became the world's fastest-growing economy, at 26.4% in
2005 and 35% in 2006
"Azerbaijan is now looking for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict, to elaborate and define the model and legal
frameworks for the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within
Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Ambassador to Indonesia Ibrahim A
Hajiyev told reporters Thursday
The ambassador was speaking at the Azerbaijani Embassy during a book
launch ceremony. The book, titled The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict,
contains information on the history of Armenian territorial claims to
Azerbaijan, separatist and terrorist forces in Armenia and its
military aggression against Azerbaijan
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict was released by the Azerbaijan
government through its Embassy in Jakarta, in two languages; English
and Indonesian
The book, Hajiyev said, was published to remind the international
community, including Indonesia, of the dangers of international
terrorism, aggressive nationalism and separatist circles in the world
today
Based on its territorial claims, Armenia started a military conflict
with Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, in 1988 and waged a full-
fledged war in 1991
The war had devastating effects on Azerbaijani people
"The Armenian aggression resulted in the occupation of Nagorno-
Karabakh and seven other regions of Azerbaijan (20 percent of entire
Azerbaijan territory). Due to the (Armenian) policy of ethnic
cleansing, around one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and
were displaced," Ambassador Hajiyev said
Since 1994 when a cease-fire agreement was signed, Hajiyev said, the
occupied Azerbaijani territories had became a gray area, out of the
control of the Azerbaijani government and free from any international
monitoring
"This has been posing a constant threat to peace and security in the
region and the world at large
"(Hence), peace talks are still needed between the two nations to
decide the future of the disputed territories," Hajiyev said
While commenting on relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia,
Musurifun, the Foreign Ministry's sub-directorate head of South and
Central Asia, said relations were in excellent shape
"We have excellent relations with Azerbaijan, which is very rich in
oil. We want to strengthen our relations further. We will soon sign
several bilateral agreements and MoUs," he said at the launching
ceremony
Musurifin commended Azerbaijan's decision to resolve the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict through peaceful means
"Indonesia has always extended support for a peaceful resolution to
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Musurifun said
When asked about the opening of an Indonesian Embassy, Musurifun said
Indonesia was seriously considering opening an embassy in Baku, but
declined to comment on the date of opening
"We are looking forward to having an Embassy in Azerbaijan. It will
take some time," he said
While Azerbaijan is a new partner to Indonesia, trade between the two
countries has been growing at a tremendous rate
In 2005, the bilateral trade value was just $1US.7 million but soared
to $67.62 million in 2006. In the first eight months of 2007, the
bilateral trade value jumped to $100.51 million, largely due to
Indonesian imports of oil products from Azerbaijan
Esther Samboh and Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post