From the conversation of the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev with Stanly Escudero, ambassador of the USA to Azerbaijan - March 14, 2000


Stanly Escudero: Mr. President, thank you. I was in the USA approximately at the same time with you. To tell the truth, I went to America after you. My visit was very successfully. I want to inform you about my visit later.

Mr. President, I learned in Washington that your visit to America was a successful.

You achieved some progresses in bilateral relations. I think that both sides were pleased from these results.

I congratulate you on the occasion of the signed documents. First of them is connected with ''UNO Committee against Tortures and Organization of International Amnesty repot on Azerbaijan.'' Worker Group established by your instruction. Unconditionally, this group will be engaged in the realization of recommendations of the Organization of International Amnesty Committee against Tortures. The second instruction ensures the full activity of the International Red Cross Committee in prisons. Thus, IRCC members can visit the prisoners freely.

All these are very important steps toward the future democratization of Azerbaijan and improving of human rights. I congratulate you on this occasion.

Mr. President, you signed these documents on March 10. That day is my birthday.

Heydar Aliyev: I signed these documents on the occasion of your birthday. I knew your birthday day, that's why I signed them on that day.

StanleyEscudero: Thank you Mr. President.

The 21st - 22nd of March are Novruz holiday. It is regretting that the deputes commander of the USA military forces of the United States in Europe Churls Abdecken will visit Azerbaijan on the days of this holiday.

Admiral Abdecken is the first officer of the USA in this rank coming to Azerbaijan.

He'll bring some projects about the corporation of the USA and Azerbaijani in the sphere of military cooperation. Of course, materialization of such plans is possible. I suppose that these projects will be fulfilled successfully.

Mr. President, I presented all the proper documents to the foreign relations department of your administration.

Mr. President, I would like to discuss other problems with you later. But first, I want know your impression on the visit. I know that our country is very satisfied and pleased with this visit.

Heydar Aliyev: Thank you. First, I congratulate you for achieving much success in your visit home.

I think that my visit was very fruitful. It's true, this was an official visit, but the most significant is its goal, but not form. It's natural that the goal of my visit was to meet Mr. Bill Clinton at the White House and hold bilateral negotiations. As you know, there Ms. Madeleine Albright, Mr. Sandy Berger and other official were participated.

Later we discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict with Mr. Sestanovish and Cavern

Nearly for two hours. I had other talks, too. I met Energy Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, and Defense Secretary William Cohen particularly.

I think that my meeting at Research Institute of Jon Hopkins University was very interestingly. The hall of the university was crowded. Of course, they were interested in Azerbaijan and me.

Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce arranged a broad reception. We had a good number of meetings there. On the first day of my official visit to America, Bjezinsky invited me to his house.

There we had large scale negotiations with the former Defense Secretary Mr. Slezicher and ambassador Vilfovich, former Defense undersecretary from the Republican Party.

My main goal was to improve the American- Azerbaijani cooperation. We exchanged views on the Baku-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline and the Transcaspian gas pipeline. Then the members of the Congress were on vocation. Because of that I could not meet them.

In any case, I stress once more that my visit to America past very successfully. I am very satisfied with this journey. Both the government of the USA and Bill Clinton paid great attention to my official visit and my medical treatment.

You know that I made a speech at the International Research Institute of John Hopkins University. Later I had eye surgical operation at the Avtomotological Hospital of the University.

I can't imagine how large territory of the university was. The Eye Disease Hospital, in fact, meets the high level standards. It's a custom to estimate the work of all the institutes, hospitals every year. I informed that John Hopkins University is number one. There are professional doctors and good, kind persons there. I made new friends there.

Naturally I went to Cleveland. But I passed just a few hours there, met surgeon Brus Lit, cardiologist Murat Tuzchu and others. They were very glad with my meeting. The most splendid news was results of the all analyses for the heart surgical operation were positive. From the business and personal point of view I think my visit very fruitful. I ask you to convey my gratitude to Mr. Bill Clinton, Ms. Madeleine Albright and others for the attention, care and friendship.

I have news that that a high rank admiral will visit Azerbaijan. We talked on it with Defense Secretary Mr. William Cohen during my visit to Pentagon. Your admiral's visit to Azerbaijan assumes great importance for us.

You say that the 21st -22nd of March holidays. But it doesn`t concern us.

Don't be anxious about it.

I know that you have other proposals, too. Just now we'll talk about it.

Translated from the newspaper ''Azerbaijan '', on March 15, 2000