From the talk of the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev with the delegation of the Jewish organizations of the USA - Baku, July 14, 1999


Heydar Aliyev: I welcome you in Azerbaijan. We have already established friendly relations with the Jewish organizations in the USA. Undoubtedly, these relations were founded by the will of the both sides.

During my official visit to the USA in 1997, I had a very important meeting with the presidents of the Jewish organizations in New York. When I was in Washington this April, I visited the Holocaust Museum and had some meetings. The representatives of the Jewish organizations also visit Azerbaijan sometimes. I think that it is very important for the expansion of the Azerbaijani-US, Azerbaijani-Israeli relations and for the development of our cooperation with the Jewish organizations.

I am very satisfied to hear that your visit is going on very useful.

Barry Jacobs: Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank you for the care and the meetings. Of course, our visit to Azerbaijan has a symbolic meaning. It demonstrates the close friendship between the Jewish committee of the United States and Azerbaijan, as well as Israel and Azerbaijan. Another purpose of our visit is to meet the Jews living in Azerbaijan.

We have heard that the Jewish community in Azerbaijan enjoys wide freedoms. They enjoy equal rights with the rest of the citizens of the republic. We witnessed it ourselves.

Mr. President, we want to congratulate you on your quick recovery. We are happy to see you so sound and strong. Thank you, Mr. President.

Heydar Aliyev: I feel very good. I was well treated in the USA.

You have got acquainted with the situation in Azerbaijan. There is no need to talk about it more. I am very satisfied that you have also got acquainted with the situation of the Jews in Azerbaijan. Every citizen in Azerbaijan enjoys the same rights, regardless his nationality and religion. We had always a special attitude towards the Jews.

I suppose that you have learned about our main problem the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict as a result of this conflict over 20 percent of our territories have been occupied and over one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and displaced persons.

Undoubtedly, some ethnic groups in different parts of the world are persecuted. I think that can not find another country in the world where there are over one million refugees, most of whom live in tents. This is the current reality of Azerbaijan. We always want the current hard situation of Azerbaijan to be known everywhere.

As you know, we want to solve the problem peacefully. Seven years ago Section 907 was adopted by the US Congress, it restricts the direct USA assistance to Azerbaijan We can not succeed in its removal. Of course, this decision of the US Congress was unfair.

We experience great difficulties. Nevertheless, we are trying to solve the conflict peacefully. In my meetings in the USA and in Azerbaijan I addressed the representatives of the Jewish organizations to help Azerbaijan for the restoration of justice. I address you, as well.

A good partnership and friendship between the USA and Azerbaijan have been established. We highly appreciate it and expand our cooperation in all the fields. But we want our problems to be solved. The Jewish organizations have great influence in the USA. We would like you to use your influence in this direction.

Barry Jacobs: Mr. President, as you are aware, all the Jewish organizations, especially the Committee of American Jews and the National Conference on the Soviet Jewry, the representatives of which are here today, support Azerbaijan in Washington. Of course, we understand your situation and the existence of over one million refugees. This time we have seen them.

The Jews themselves have been refugees in history. Therefore, they understand well the situation of refugees better. Furthermore, we try to contribute to your efforts. We try to establish peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Our visit to the three countries of the Southern Caucasus is coming to an end. We have led observations and got acquainted with the situation. It is clear that the development in the region may be only after the establishment of peace. We have our special opinion about the observations we had in other two countries of the region,too.

Newspaper "Azerbaycan", July 15, 1999

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