Day: October 4, 2023

Azerbaijan will not attend an EU-brokered event in Spain where its president, Ilham Aliyev, was set to hold talks with his Armenian counterpart over the future of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Aliyev had been considering taking part in a meeting to discuss the breakaway region – which has largely emptied out after the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians – with the leaders of France, Germany, Armenia and the EU Council president, Charles Michel.

Azerbaijani state media said Aliyev had wanted Turkey to be represented at the meeting with Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, which was scheduled for Thursday, but that France and Germany had objected.

Baku felt “an anti-Azerbaijani atmosphere” had emerged among potential participants, according to reports.

The Azerbaijani news outlet APA said Baku had been angered by French officials and France’s decision, announced on Tuesday, to supply Yerevan with military equipment.

“Any format involving France is not acceptable for Azerbaijan, Baku will not participate in such a platform,” APA said, citing an unnamed Azerbaijani official.

Accounts from within Nagorno-Karabakh have revealed the dramatic aftermath of the region’s defeat by Azerbaijani forces in a lightning-fast military operation last month.

“The city is now completely deserted. The hospitals, more than one, are not functioning,” Marco Succi, who travelled to the region this week as part of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said. “The medical personnel have left. The water board authorities left. The director of the morgue … the stakeholders we were working with before, have also left. This scene is quite surreal.”

Succi said his ICRC team were scouring the regional capital, Stepanakert’s, abandoned streets with megaphones looking for the last residents who had been unable or unwilling to leave.

Succi said they found Susanna, an elderly cancer patient confined to bed, who was reportedly showing signs of malnutrition and was taken by ambulance to Armenia.

A video published on Wednesday by the Russian peacekeeping mission from Stepanakert similarly showed empty streets littered with debris left by former residents.

International media outlets have been refused entry to Stepanakert because the area is not yet secure, Azerbaijani officials have said.

Estimates of ethnic Armenians still in the Karabakh region ranged from only 50-1,000, after more than 100,000 fled in recent days, the first UN mission to the area in 30 years reported on Monday.

One of the few men left was thought to be a farmer from a village near Stepanakert. Speaking in Yerevan, his daughter Ani – who asked that her second name and father’s name be withheld for security reasons – told the Guardian he had decided to stay for now because he “could not leave his cattle behind”.

“He told me that he does not want his cattle to die, they are his life,” Ani said.

Ani last spoke to her father on Monday, when he described how fleeing neighbours had left food and other provisions that would last for three weeks. “I am not sure what he will do after that. There are no shops, no food. He is all alone there.”

Western officials have urged Baku to provide the ethnic Armenians who left Nagorno-Karabakh with security guarantees that would ensure their eventual return.

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During a visit to Armenia on Tuesday, the French foreign ministry said that Paris was working on “a draft resolution aimed at guaranteeing a permanent international presence in Nagorno-Karabakh” that would enable Armenians “to return to their lands” in due course.

But several refugees said they saw no way for them to go back to their homes, mindful of a long history of bloodshed between the two sides.

“We will not return, no matter what the promises are,” said Tigran, a Nagorno-Karabakh native, in an interview from Dilijan, a town north of Yerevan where his family had been housed in a temporary shelter. “We just don’t trust Azerbaijan. We don’t want to live under their rule.”

Azerbaijani officials have emphasised that they would guarantee “the equal rights and freedoms of everyone” in Nagorno-Karabakh, “regardless of ethnic, religious or linguistic affiliation”.

But the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, pointing to the mass exodus, wrote in a report this week that “the [Azerbaijani] promises made are insufficient to build trust”.

“While it should be a goal of international diplomacy that the displaced can safely visit and, eventually, return to the enclave, that is likely to require a long-term effort,” the report said. “More immediately, residents of Nagorno-Karabakh will need help to start new lives in Armenia, where they may be for some time, if not permanently.”

It also remains unclear whether Azerbaijan is planning to repopulate the mountainous region with its own citizens.

Between 1988 and 1994, about 500,000 Azerbaijanis from Karabakh and the areas around it were expelled from their homes, according to Thomas de Waal, a Caucasus scholar and senior fellow at the Carnegie Europe thinktank.

The ethnic Azeri population made up about 25% of the total population of Nagorno-Karabakh before a Russian-brokered ceasefire signed in 1994 that left Karabakh, as well as swathes of Azeri territory around, it in Armenian hands.

Baku previously said it had resettled some districts in Nagorno-Karabakh that it had retaken from Armenia after six weeks of fighting in 2020, in a programme that the authorities called the “big return”.

On October 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a
phone call to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, Azernews reports.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the
significant humanitarian aid provided by Azerbaijan to Ukraine,
especially for the support for the energy sector in winter
conditions.

During the phone conversation, the sides expressed support for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states and
exchanged views on regional security, current threats, and future
cooperation formats.

—

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

A still pictures from a drone footage shows military hardware on fire, near Svitle

YEREVAN — With 60 votes in favor, 22 against, and no abstentions, Armenia’s National Assembly adopted a draft resolution ratifying the Rome Statute, which now only requires the president’s signature to become law. Ratification would see Armenia joining the International Criminal Court.

The vote fell along party lines — with the opposition factions I Have Honor and Armenia Alliance, affiliated with former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan, respectively, opposing the motion.

The decision comes against a backdrop of turmoil in the South Caucasus, with Armenia’s authoritarian neighbor Azerbaijan conquering the ethnic-Armenian populated self-proclaimed republic of Artsakh during an entirely unprovoked attack between September 19 and 20, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, thousands more wounded, and the expulsion of the entire region’s 120,000 indigenous Armenian inhabitants.

Despite global condemnation of this attack and pledges of tens of millions of dollars in assistance to refugees, no country has yet imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan for breaking the terms of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire (as well as virtually every previous ceasefire agreement), all of which stress the importance of renouncing a violent solution to the decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia, in particular, despite being the only foreign power with a military presence in the region (along with 2000 peacekeepers with a mandate to protect the people of Nagorno-Karabakh), notably failed to condemn Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing and went so far as to shift the blame to Armenia. Russia, which formally signed two mutual defense agreements with Armenia in the 1990s, has in turn been criticized by Yerevan for failing to fulfill its pledge to defend the South Caucasus nations’ territorial integrity.

In Kornidzor, the first Armenian village along the Lachin Corridor connecting Artsakh to Armenia proper, a Red Cross triage tent was set up to process the expected flow of refugees fleeing the Azerbaijani advance into their homes and villages. Among the first arrivals, Arsen Hambardzumyan from Nor Shen village, told the Mirror-Spectator that the entire village had been evacuated when the Azerbaijanis began shelling. “Only the mayor stayed behind,” Hambardzumyan said, “we don’t know what happened to him.”

Another refugee, Nairi Chapanyan, from the Stepanakert suburb of Krkjan—situated just below the Shushi cliff — described Azeri artillery spotters intentionally redirecting fire towards the village’s school after parents had rushed to save their children from the barrage. Footage shot by local journalists also shows evidence that Azeri munitions hit schools, municipal buildings, and civilian infrastructure all across Artsakh. Almost 200 Armenian military personnel and civilians were killed during the 2-day attack, with many others still missing. Official Azerbaijani losses amount to 192.

The opening ceremony of the 74th International Astronautical Congress has been held at the Baku Convention Center.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their son Heydar Aliyev attended the event.

First, the Congress participants posed together for photographs.

The opening ceremony saw a musical show as well as videos about Azerbaijan and the 24th International Astronautical Congress held in Baku in 1973.

Then, a video presenting the International Astronautical Federation was screened.

The opening ceremony was addressed by the President of the International Astronautical Federation, Clay Mowry.

A video message of the China Space Station astronauts was demonstrated.

President of the International Astronautical Federation Clay Mowry presented to President Ilham Aliyev a keepsake including a photograph depicting National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev together with astronauts at the 24th International Astronautical Congress, held in Baku in 1973, which was demonstrated in the space and then brought back, and other attributes.

Then, a video message from the International Space Station astronauts was shown.

The head of state addressed the opening ceremony of the Congress.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

Dear Mr. President of the International Astronautical Federation,

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Dear guests.

Welcome to Azerbaijan, welcome to Baku. After 50 years, the congress is back. First of all, I would like to express deep gratitude to the International Astronautical Federation for the honor of hosting the Congress in Azerbaijan. Also, I would like to express gratitude to the International Academy of Astronautics and the International Institute of Space Law for their constant support.

For us, it is a big honor to host such an important global event. We have more than 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries. I am sure that our guests will have a chance, apart from their duties here at the Congress, to get to know more about Azerbaijan, its history, its culture, and its people.

Azerbaijan became a member of a global space club more than a decade ago. And now, with two telecommunication satellites and one Earth observation satellite, we continue our efforts to develop the space industry in Azerbaijan. Also, I would like to inform you that these three satellites are operated by Azerbaijani specialists, and they provide services not only to us but to 45 countries.

The Congress here in Baku will definitely give a new impetus to the development of the space industry, the development of the high-tech and innovation sector of our country, and its modernization. Now, modernization is a word that characterizes our vision for the future, our agenda and our plans.

During the times of independence, Azerbaijan transformed into an active member of the international community. Our policy is always clear, transparent, and straightforward and aims to win friends and enhance cooperation. Azerbaijan participates as an active member of the international community in numerous political, economic and regional development projects. We, for the fourth year, are chairing the second largest international institution after the United Nations – the Non-Aligned Movement, and we have been entrusted the honor to chair this institution by unanimous decision of 120 countries. So, this really reflects the broad international support for Azerbaijan.

At the same time, our cooperation with the European institutions also developed successfully. With nine members of the EU, Azerbaijan signed declarations on strategic partnership. So, that actually demonstrates our foreign policy agenda, which is absolutely open and, as I already said, aimed at cooperation and broader regional involvement and inclusivity.

Azerbaijan is a member of two important international institutions – the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Council of Europe – and is one of the very few countries that is a member of both. More than 100 countries are participants in these two international organizations. So, this actually is a reflection of not only our geography and our culture but also our political intentions. Because being situated just between Europe and Asia, being a kind of natural transportation, cultural, and now also economic bridge, which connects two continents, surely gives us this basic opportunity to create a broad international cooperation in our region.

I think geography means a lot for perhaps all the countries of the world. For us, geography means opportunity. So, we managed to transform our geographical location into a positive scenario, having good relations with our neighbors, with whom we share centuries of cohabitation and partnership. Today, we broaden our horizons. And entrusting us with hosting this important international event, we consider it a sign of respect, a sign of support for our endeavors.

Being a natural bridge between the continents, of course, played an important role in the development of our society. Throughout the centuries, Azerbaijan had a multicultural and multi-confessional society. Now, during more than 30 years of independence, we have strengthened this factor of our life. We consider it an important factor of stability, predictability, and the peaceful coexistence between representatives of all ethnic groups and representatives of all confessions in Azerbaijan. We really live like one family, and it is also noted and reflected in decisions of international organizations like the United Nations, which fully support Azerbaijan’s efforts to promote multiculturalism. By the way, the regular World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which is held by our initiative in our country, is a unique platform for making interactions between different civilizations more results-oriented.

Azerbaijan was the initiator of the Baku Process more than a decade ago, which, for the first time in history, united the Council of Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in one platform addressing important issues of global politics, intercultural dialogue and peaceful development.

Azerbaijan is also known as a country where the first oil in the world was produced in the middle of the 19th century. At that time, we were producing more than half of the world’s oil production, and also, maybe not many people know that the first offshore oil was also produced in Azerbaijan in the Caspian by Azerbaijani oil workers in the middle of the 20th century.

And now, when we are independent, our natural resources serve the benefit of our people. The rapid transformation during the years of independence is actually a demonstration of the proper use of our natural wealth. For some countries that are rich in oil resources, oil is a curse. For us, it was the way to develop, to strengthen our independence, to protect our identity, and to build a strong economy.

If you look at today’s map of energy and transportation routes, including pipelines, you will see the touch of Azerbaijan. The projects, which we initiated and successfully completed together with our neighbors and partners, actually are a big contribution to energy security, not only for our region. And today, as we all know, energy security is an integral part of the national security of every country. Today, Azerbaijan is a reliable supplier of energy resources to international markets and is considered by the European Union as a pan-European supplier. But among our partners, there are dozens of countries on different continents, and all that serve the international cooperation, predictability, and, at the same time, successful economic development of our country.

Three years ago, we completed the primary task of our lifetime. We restored our territorial integrity, which was violated for almost 30 years. We suffered from aggression, occupation, and ethnic cleansing, which was an immense tragedy for our nation and a vast humanitarian catastrophe. When our lands became occupied at the beginning of the ‘90s, more than 1 million Azerbaijanis – at that time, our population was 8 million – became refugees and internally displaced persons. That was probably the highest per capita ratio of refugees in any country. And at that time, we were very poor. We had not yet started to develop our natural resources. We were landlocked and disorganized, and the prospects for the future were not very clear.

But our people demonstrated strong political will. We tried for many years to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and to put an end to the occupation by peaceful means. For 28 years, we were strongly committed to the negotiation process, but unfortunately, we clearly realized that it was not possible to do this by peaceful means. So, we used our right to self-defense. We used the right which is given to every country by the UN Charter – the right to self-defense – and liberated our territories three years ago and put an end to the occupation. Less than a month ago, we fully restored our sovereignty all over the country.

Unfortunately, international organizations which were obliged to put an end to the occupation did not produce any results. The United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from our territories. However, these resolutions were not implemented for 27 years. We implemented those resolutions ourselves, sacrificing the lives of our people. Other international institutions like the OSCE had a mandate for negotiation facilitation, but it produced zero results and led to total frustration and disappointment in Azerbaijan`s society.

So, our experience of the restoration of territorial integrity and sovereignty in a certain way is unique. We put an end to a conflict which was imposed on us. We protected our dignity. We restored justice and international law. And now, it is time for peace in the Caucasus. This is our agenda. Our agenda is peace in the Caucasus, peace in the region, cooperation and shared benefits.

Today, we demonstrate that, of course, in order to become a really independent country, we had to have a strong economy. We clearly realize that. Therefore, all our main efforts were aimed at creating such an economy that will be self-sufficient and will not lead us to a kind of dependence on any global center of power or on any financial institution. We managed to do it.

I would like to inform you of some figures. Taking into account that most of our guests are visiting Azerbaijan for the first time, I think these figures clearly demonstrate what has been achieved in Azerbaijan recently. So, in the last 20 years, our GDP grew four times, our budget revenues grew more than 30 times, and foreign trade turnover more than 10 times, gross. We managed to reduce our direct foreign debt, and now it is around 10% of GDP. According to our plans, by the end of 2024, it will be around 7-7.5% of GDP. Foreign exchange reserves in Azerbaijan exceed our direct foreign debt 10 times. In other words, if we would like, we can repay all our debts within a couple of months. We created a very positive investment climate, not only for energy but also for other sectors. Total investments in the last 20 years were more than 300 billion USD, with 190 billion USD invested in the non-energy sector.

One of the big challenges at the beginning of our independence was poverty, which was endemic. 20 years ago, the percentage of people living in poverty was close to 50. Now it is 5.5%, which demonstrates that the natural resources we accumulated and brought to the international market were properly managed. And the fair distribution of national wealth today is seen by international experts and, most important, by the people of Azerbaijan. So, all these actually demonstrate that the country is well-established. Political, economic and social stability is an important factor in our development because it is clear that if a situation is not stable and is not predictable, you cannot expect investors to come and risk their capital.

I hope that our guests will have the opportunity to see what I have just said with their own eyes, meet with people, and learn more about Azerbaijan. Yes, we have an ancient history, part of which was demonstrated in the video presentation, and the ancient culture. But as an independent country, we are still very young, only 32 years old.

And in conclusion, I would like to say once again that we really are very proud that we are hosting the Congress for the second time. As it was already said and demonstrated, the 24th Congress was held in Baku in 1973. I am very grateful to all our guests and especially to our brave Chinese astronauts, who have that very dear photo of me photo in space. So, in a certain way, I am also there. I am part of your community.

Of course, hosting for the second time this important event is a big honor for us. Once again, I would like to express gratitude to all those who participated in that decision. So, for the second time, the Congress is held in Baku, in the same city, but not in the same country. Today, it is independent Azerbaijan that hosts such a global event. So, once again, thank you for being with us. I wish the Congress success.

An exhibition has been organized as part of the 74th International Astronautical Congress.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their son Heydar Aliyev attended the opening of the exhibition.

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony symbolizing the opening of the exhibition, the attendees familiarized themselves with the stands of participating companies.

The pavilion of the exhibition, installed on an area of 8,000 square meters, features the stands of 150 companies representing 36 countries.

The head of state and the First Lady viewed the stands of the Turkish Space Agency, the Saudi Space Agency, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Indian Space Research Organization, the Israel Aerospace Industries, the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Chinese Society of Astronautics and other companies.

The Baku Congress has already surpassed the congresses held in Australia, Germany, the U.S., UAE and France in terms of the number of sponsorship packages bought by 22 companies in the space industry. The Congress has over 30 sponsors.

4 main sponsorship packages, including Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze ones, were bought by U.S. companies such as “Space X,” “Axiom Space,” “Blue Origin,” “Boeing,” “Lockheed Martin,” “BlackSky,” “Vast,” “Northrop Grumman,” the Chinese Society of Astronautics, the Turkish Space Agency, the “Plan S,” technology company, the Saudi Space Agency, Israel Aerospace Industries, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, the Indian Space Research Organization, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, “ispace,” “JGC Holdings Corporation,” “Astroscale,” companies, “Aiurbus” Office in Germany, Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications, Portugal’s “Neuraspace” company, Bulgaria’s ‘EnduraSat” company, Austria’s “Asgardia Space” company, the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the UK Space Agency, Amazon’s “Project Kuiper,” “Jet Propulsion Laboratory”, and “Voyager Space” company.

Founded in 1951, the International Astronautical Federation is the world’s leading space advocacy body, with more than 460 members in 110 countries, including all leading space agencies, companies, research institutions, universities, societies, associations, institutes and museums worldwide.

As the organizer of the annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC) – the world’s premier global space event – and other thematic events, the IAF actively encourages the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes and supports the dissemination of scientific and technical information related to space. Azerbaijan has been a member of the International Astronautical Federation since 2003.

15:14, 1 October 2023