Federal News Service
PRESS STAKEOUT WITH PRESIDENT HEYDAR ALIYEV OF AZERBAIJAN FOLLOWING HIS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE DRIVEWAY, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TIME: 11:27 A.M. EST DATE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2000
(NOTE: President Aliyev's remarks are through interpreter unless
indicated otherwise.)
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: (In English) Good morning.
THE PRESS: Good morning.
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: (Through interpreter) I would like to greet you, and I
understand that you would like to get some information from me. I can tell
you that I had just a very fruitful, very good, and very useful
discussions with President Mr. Bill Clinton. We discussed in detail the
peaceful settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh. I believe that these discussions were very helpful and
very useful for the political peaceful settlement of the conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, and this meeting will give additional impetus to
find a final settlement.
We also exchanged views about the joint development of the energy
resources at the Caspian Sea. As you know, we have signed an agreement for
the construction of Baku-Ceyhan main export pipeline. Now we had a
detailed exchange of views how to implement that agreement.
We also exchanged views about the construction of the trans-Caspian gas
pipeline that would carry that gas from Turkmenistan through the Caspian
Sea via Azerbaijan to Turkey. We shared the same views with the president
on all these issues. And I was very pleased to hear the positions of the
president.
Among the subjects that we discussed with the president was also the
unfair, unjust law, that Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act that was
passed by the U.S. Congress in 1992. Unfortunately, in a very fair and
just country like America, in a fair Congress like you have, sometimes
unfair bills are also adopted. Armenian lobby in America was the main
driving force for adopting this law.
But this Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act is baseless. This section
was adopted as if Azerbaijan has blockaded Armenia, but in fact Armenia's
armed formations have occupied Azerbaijan's 20 percent land and they
continue to keep those lands under their occupation. Over 1 million
citizens of Azerbaijan have been ousted forcefully from the occupied land,
and they have been living under very hard circumstances in tents. In this
given situation, the idea of Azerbaijan blockading Armenia has no grounds
at all. Therefore, the repeal of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act is
very important for us, and that's why we discussed this issue in detail
with President Bill Clinton as well.
Very close, friendly relations and partnership relations have been
established between the United States of America and Azerbaijan, and we
have now very wide economic cooperation that brings the benefits to both
sides. We consider America as our friend and as our strategic partner.
Once again, I would like to emphasize that I was very pleased of my
meeting with the president and with the discussion that I have had with
him.
Thank you.
Q Mr. President, the Baku-Ceyhan line also has to be financed, and much of
this financing will be private. Have you resolved who is going to pay the
cost and how this is going to be constructed in terms of financial
support?
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: Baku-Ceyhan will be financed by the private companies.
Baku-Ceyhan will be financed by a consortium of the American and European
companies that have now business investments in Azerbaijan; that they are
jointly developing our natural resources and that the financing will come
from the consortium of Azerbaijani and Western energy companies.
Since this issue has been almost settled, there was no need to discuss
these details with the president.
Q (Through interpreter.) Did the questions of terrorism was also
discussed? And what is Azerbaijan's attitude to Wahhabism?
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: We did not discuss this issue. We have an extremely
negative attitude towards Wahhabism. We think that this movement, this
trend, is dangerous both for North Caucasus and -- in general for our
region.
Q (Through interpreter.) And, Mr. President, what concessions Armenians
and Azerbaijans are making in order to achieve a peaceful settlement over
Nagorno-Karabakh? And is there a possibility for a swap of land on this
issue?
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: And it is quite natural that both sides have to make
compromises. Now the discussion, negotiations, are under way in order to
define all the concessions. Since the negotiations have not come to an
end, I would not like to go into details about it.
Q (Inaudible.)
PRESIDENT ALIYEV: (Inaudible) -- question? No questions. (In English.)
Thank you very much.
(Chorus of thank-yous.)
END
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