Armenian occupiers enjoy protection behind the scenes-Ramiz Mehdiyev

The chief-of-staff at the Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev, made the remarks in a paper at an international conference in Baku on Wednesday.

He also criticized the OSCE Minsk Group, the international body mediating a solution to the Karabakh conflict, and said that many Azerbaijanis were convinced that Armenia received tacit support.

"The efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states cannot be considered satisfactory. These states have for many years done nothing to put an end to Armenian aggression and free Azerbaijan’s lands from occupation," Mehdiyev said.

"The Azerbaijani people are sure that the Armenian occupiers enjoy protection behind the scenes. The Minsk Group states should bear in mind that the patience of the Azerbaijani people is not unlimited and is already running out."

The chief-of-staff's remarks echo comments made by President Ilham Aliyev in a speech last month when he said that the Karabakh conflict would not remain frozen for long. "Azerbaijan has a strong economy, military potential, demographic superiority and the patience of the people is running out," the president said during a visit to the town of Gakh.

Wednesday's conference, entitled "Twentieth Year of Independence: Successes Achieved and Challenges Faced on the Way to the Progressive, Fair and Dynamic State Building", is organized jointly by the Center for Strategic Studies (SAM) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

In his conference paper, Ramiz Mehdiyev looked in general at Azerbaijan's progress over the past 20 years and said that the country is on the threshold of a new stage in its development strategy.

News.Az prints in full the speech of Ramiz Mehdiyev.

"Distinguished conference participants, ladies and gentlemen,

"The importance of today’s event is that it coincides with the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence and is dedicated to an analysis of the real outcome achieved over this period.

"Twenty years is a very small period of time in terms of the establishment and development of a national state. Reforms and fundamental, consistent changes have been implemented and great work has been done to build economic ties on new foundations in Azerbaijan since the country gained independence.

"Working on a new development strategy of Azerbaijan, today we are setting out on innovative paths to ensure international competitiveness. The concept 'Azerbaijan 2020: looking towards the future', signed by President Ilham Aliyev, aims to eliminate these challenges. We can say that we are almost on the threshold of a new stage of development strategy.

"Of course, this is the outcome and logical continuation of our achievements in the past 20 years. Worthy of note is that there were many obstacles and setbacks on this path. Located at the intersection of geopolitical interests, Azerbaijan has historically always been engaged in a struggle to maintain its independence and determine its own destiny, its own future. This was the case after the collapse of the Soviet Union too. The Azerbaijani people set out on a difficult, but honourable path. Against the backdrop of geopolitical struggle between the super powers, the military aggression by neighbouring Armenia, economic recession, inflation and political chaos called the future of the Azerbaijani state into question in the early 1990s. Under these circumstances, our people's lives became intolerable and they lost trust in the future in spite of broad economic and intellectual potential and natural energy resources.

"National leader Heydar Aliyev’s return to power in 1993 marked a new era in the contemporary history of Azerbaijan. Bringing all forces and people of good reason together he rescued Azerbaijan from this tough state of affairs and founded a new development strategy.

"Azerbaijan’s economic power has increased numerous times over the last 20 years. It accounts for more than 80% of the economy of the South Caucasus and is the largest economy in the region. Economic reforms conducted in the country as well as privatization and liberalization helped Azerbaijan to create market relations and to come through the transition period with success.

"Macroeconomic indicators show a level of sustainable development in the country’s economy and point to the solid foundations on which future development has been built.

"Azerbaijan has always condemned elements of 'wild capitalism' and struggled against it. The human factor is the essence of the development strategy of our state. The policy pursued in the country to this end impacts all spheres of our life. It is also known that the human factor is the major driving force of development in a globalizing world.

"The call 'to transform black gold into human capital' identified by President Ilham Aliyev as a priority shows how sensitive we are to this problem.

"If the state creates conditions for people to enhance their knowledge and skills in a safe environment by performing its own functions, this, in turn, paves the way for the development of state and society. We understand very well that state care for the development of the human factor is a guarantee of a safer future.

"Everyone should care about the future of the planet we live on and the healthy lifestyles of future generations regardless of geographical location. The idea that the Earth is a universal treasure of each one of us should become the main factor in our daily lives and political work.

"The economic model of Azerbaijan is based on the search for unity between the 'private' and 'public' and the reassessment of necessary intervention by the state. The state regulates economic relations and encourages economic growth through its own resources. The broad financial opportunities of Azerbaijan allow support for various spheres of economic activity and ensure the diversified economic development of the national economy.

"On the other hand, social-oriented intervention of the Azerbaijani state is a striking example of expedient steps to create a 'welfare state'. It has been the main priority of the socioeconomic policy pursued over the last 20 years to improve the living conditions of people, to create jobs, to reduce poverty and to provide the necessary living conditions for everyone.

"This issue will be touched upon in the speeches to follow. Therefore, I am not going to cite statistics. But I should note that the development strategy founded back in 1993 has become a source of pride for us with its real outcomes.

"Another important, distinguishing, feature of this period is that economic and political reforms have been carried out in parallel. The stability established since 1993 boosted economic activities, helped to form market economy institutions and encouraged foreigners to invest in various spheres of the economy, particularly the oil sector. Sustainable economic growth and development paved a way for successful political reforms, people’s active involvement in politics and Azerbaijan’s integration into European institutions.

"Equality and freedom are possible only in societies with solid economic foundations and strong political will. These two factors allow democratic institutions in Azerbaijan to have a well-entrenched position and democratic framework to perform the function of the main regulator of political activities. Azerbaijan became an active member of the democratic European family back in 2001 when it joined the Council of Europe.

"At the same time, a multi-faceted foreign policy course which incorporated features of regional geopolitical environment opened broad opportunities for Azerbaijan on the international arena and created new prospects of cooperation with states in the region. The new priorities required a reassessment of the resources that Azerbaijan already possessed so that it could benefit from them in the most efficient way. This allowed Azerbaijan, which had old statehood traditions, to become a strong regional actor and provided the opportunity to integrate into European institutions and the international community with success and to develop cooperation with partners, both distant and close by, based on equal rights.

"In the meantime, the policies we pursue place new responsibility and obligations on us in terms of safeguarding global security and peace and resolving global security issues. Azerbaijan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council on 24 October is the logical outcome of the wise and far-sighted political activity of the head of state.

"But the main challenge we face is military aggression by Armenia. I wonder how a state which is a member of the international community can violate the territorial integrity of another sovereign state by use of force and keep these lands under occupation for 19 years. This contradicts the principles and objectives of the UN Charter and the prohibition of all forms of the use of force.

"In spite of this illegal situation, we witness stagnation on the part of the international community. The efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing states cannot be considered satisfactory. These states have for many years done nothing to put an end to Armenian aggression and free Azerbaijan’s lands from occupation. Azerbaijani people are sure that the Armenian occupiers enjoy protection behind the scenes. The Minsk Group states should bear in mind that the patience of the Azerbaijani people is not unlimited and is already running out.

"However, it becomes clear from the recent history of the 20th century that the international community has never recognized a 'puppet' state formed as a result of aggression and has struggled against it. Otherwise, any world order, international security and mechanism to maintain peace are out of the question here. The current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains the major threat to the future creation of the fair society, peace and security that the peoples want. The international community needs to step up efforts, to be guided by the rule of law and to force Armenia to fulfill its international obligations.

"The people living in Nagorno-Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan. Known for its progressive position in the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan recognizes the rights of minorities with specific features, at the same time maintaining national unity around single, universal values and ideas. Every individual in Azerbaijan can freely determine their ethnic identity and develop their specific features. The nation is a community of all citizens,regardless of their language, religion and ethnicity within the borders of a single state. The Armenians who were born in Nagorno-Karabakh and live there can act freely in line with Azerbaijan’s commitments to the Council of Europe and UN and under the legislation of Azerbaijan and enjoy the rights provided by the Constitution of Azerbaijan.

"But aggression and cooperation are incompatible. Armenia’s aggressive policies and its self-isolation from regional projects have caused a tough economic situation in the country. Armenian people are leaving the country in droves to escape destitution. The economic strategy implemented in Azerbaijan since 1994 is continuing with success to this day. The 'Contract of the Century' facilitated Azerbaijan’s integration into the world economy and emphasized its geopolitical importance. This is a result of far-sighted and pragmatic policies.

"The discovery of new gas fields has boosted the export potential of Azerbaijan and made it one of the leading gas producers of the world. Today Azerbaijan has already become a main energy partner of Europe. At the same time, energy projects implemented in the region, including oil and gas pipelines and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, have made a particular contribution to regional cooperation. As a leading state in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan has become the main driving force of regional cooperation. In turn, this is a striking example of effective statehood, strong economy and national unity in Azerbaijan.

"In conclusion, I wish the conference success. Thank you for your attention."