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curity. I want to emphasize that we take appropriate measures in this context. 
But, unfortunately, there are many obstacles on the way to maintain peace and 
security. Our intention is to direct our cooperation towards peace and security 
not only in our region, but also in the world. I believe that your visit and our 
talks serve this goal. Many thanks.    
Javier Solana: Mr. President, I thank you once more. I believe that my visit 
to Baku will be productive and successful.
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Distinguished Mr. Chairman! 
Ladies and gentlemen!
Allow me to congratulate heartily the heads of the member states and gov-
ernments, the governing body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the 
occasion of the 50th anniversary jubilee of  NATO. 
We highly appreciate the great role of NATO in ensuring peace and stability 
in the world and consider it the most signifi cant tool of security in the whole 
Europe. 
Aft er the collapse of the socialist system and the Warsaw Treaty Organiza-
tion, a completely new situation has emerged on the threshold of XXI century. 
Democracy and freedom, protection of human rights are becoming the highest 
ideal of many countries and nations of the world. The Republic of Azerbaij an, 
which possesses great natural and energy resources and occupies a rare geo-
graphical and strategic position in the intersection of Europe and Asia, has 
taken the road of building a democratic state based on the market economy 
and complete integration to the world community. The unanimity of goals and 
ideals has become a solid foundation for the development of broad coopera-
tion among Azerbaij an, USA and the partners in Europe.
On the other hand, the collapse of the totalitarian regimes has resulted in armed 
confl icts, separatism and ethnic cleansing causing death and mis¬fortunes for 
millions of people, endangered peace and stability in various regions of the 
planet.
The Azerbaij ani people have experienced all these horrors in the recent ten 
years. 
 As a consequence of the groundless territorial claims of the neighboring 
Armenia against Azerbaij an and its military aggression, about twenty per cent 
of our territory has been occupied, over a million of our compatriots have been 
subjected to ethnic cleansing and become refugees and internally displaced 
persons.
We make every eff ort to sett le the confl ict with Armenia peacefully in the 
shortest period and cherish great hopes in the activities of the Minsk Group 
of OSCE and its co-chairs in the person of Russia, USA and France. We think 
that the delivery of arms illegally to one of the sides of the con¬fl ict and the at-
Speech of the Azerbaij ani President Heydar Aliyev 
at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Summit of NATO - 
Washington
April 26, 1999
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tempts of rapid armament in the region are inadmissible.
We support the immediate solution of all the existing confl icts in the post-
soviet space and in Yugoslavia peacefully, the cease of ethnic cleansing in Ko-
sovo and the return of the civilians to their homes. The world community must 
adequately respond to raging ethnic irreconcilability and separatism.
We att ach great importance to the cooperation with NATO in the frames of 
‘Partnership for Peace’ program on our part and we shall do our best in future 
to deepen the relations of Azerbaij an with the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion. We welcome the new concept of strategy of NATO proposed at the Wash-
ington summit.
I congratulate the presidents of Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic on the 
occasion of the admission of their countries to NATO. Undoubtedly, admission 
of new members to the organization will help the security and stability in the 
whole Euro-Atlantic space, including the region of the Caucasus.
I wish many new successes in the implementation of the noble mission of 
NATO in ensuring peace, security and stability, in the realization of the highest 
ideals of mankind. Thank you for att ention.
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Heydar Aliyev: Distinguished guests, welcome to Azerbaij an! In connection 
with the program “Partnership for Peace”, the recent meetings between NATO 
and Azerbaij an assume an intensive character. I praise and greet it. Your visits 
to Azerbaij an mean, naturally, that you can yourself see the current situation in 
Azerbaij an. Of course, it all can positively aff ect our cooperation. 
It is true that you have not been long in Azerbaij an. But our Minister of De-
fense has informed me that you had led defi nite work. The more important is 
that you have led negotiations, att ended the military schools of our National 
Army. I guess, it is enough for the fi rst time. However, it is necessary to broad-
en such meetings and negotiations. Please.
Quido Venturioni: Mr. President, fi rst, I thank you personally for accepting 
me and the delegation accompanying me today. At the same time, I am thankful 
to you for your support to the mentioned program “Partnership for Peace”. 
I know that both NATO and Azerbaij an pay great att ention to this program. 
One of the main goals of the NATO summit held in Washington last year was 
the expansion of this program as much as possible. 
One of our major plans and goals in Brussels, at the NATO headquarters, 
is to meet the heads of states, our colleagues, to learn their thoughts, to deter-
mine our plans and aims within the program and to broaden them. This all has 
been directed to summing up those initiatives. 
Despite the briefness of this visit, I think, it was very interesting, also very 
useful for us. During the visit I met your Minister of Defense, the Premier and 
got a lot of information from them. I could also visit military units and the 
military academy. 
Not only I got information here, I also gained direct experience in your coun-
try. I am absolutely sure that the meetings held here will be of  great signifi -
cance for my further work.
If you have any questions or ideas on the cooperation within the NATO 
framework, I am ready to reply to them and share my thoughts. 
Heydar Aliyev: Yes, I have some questions, ideas. However, before turning to 
From the talk of The Azerbaij ani President Heydar 
Aliyev with the delegation Headed by Quido Ventu-
rioni, Chairman of The Military 
Commission of NATO Admiral of the Italian Navy 
Presidential Palace, April 28, 2000
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