Aliyev: International relations entering new era, dominated by law of  power

ArmInfo. International relations are entering a new era; an era in which the situation is governed not by the power of law, but by law of power. Azerbaijani  President Ilham Aliyev made this statement in an interview with Euronews in Davos.

"We are faced with a situation where the norms of international law  have become non-binding for all participants in the international  community. Therefore, our strategic goal was to achieve results based  on our national interests. And, with all due respect to international  law, to do what we believed was right," Aliyev said. Referring to the  Zayed Humanitarian Award for his efforts "in peacebuilding," Aliyev  said he was honored to receive the prestigious award, especially  because it bears the name of the UAE's founder, the late Sheikh  Zayed. "And I consider this recognition of our efforts to establish  peace in the Caucasus after more than thirty years of bloodshed,  conflict, and war. Today, the South Caucasus is also entering a new  stage of development. We've only been living in peace for five or six  months; we're learning.  Throughout our independent history, we've  never lived in peace. And this is a special feeling. And, of course,  this is a wonderful opportunity. Today, relations between Armenia and  Azerbaijan are already developing into cooperation. We have lifted  all restrictions on cargo transportation to Armenia. Moreover, we  have begun supplying Armenia with critical goods, primarily petroleum  products, on which this country is largely dependent. And this is a  mutually beneficial situation. Therefore, I believe that through the  joint efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan, including civil society, we  will achieve not just a long-term, but a permanent peace in the  Caucasus. This is our goal," Aliyev stated.

Regarding the latest developments surrounding Iran, the Azerbaijani  president noted that every country, including Azerbaijan, must  consider stability beyond its borders. While noting the absence of  any threats within Azerbaijan, Aliyev acknowledged that such threats  exist from outside. In this regard, he noted that Baku is concerned  about some destabilization in Iran. "For us, stability,  predictability, and peace in the region are our greatest asset.  Therefore, stability and security are the only path to success for  every country today. Regarding energy markets, as you can see, the  price of oil is stable today. It is at an acceptable level, at least  for Azerbaijan. This shows that the situation in Iran, Venezuela, and  other parts of the world do not have a significant impact on oil  prices. And this is a good sign, since producers and consumers need a  predictable situation to plan for the future. Therefore, I hope that  the situation in and around the South Caucasus will not worsen. This  is what we truly want to see. And I hope that every country will  contribute to regional stability and security," Aliyev continued.

He also noted that Azerbaijan is the only country in the South  Caucasus that possesses energy resources and exports them to other  countries in the region. In this regard, he noted that Georgia, and  now Armenia, has been importing energy from Azerbaijan for many  years. "As for Europe and the European Union, our energy cooperation  continues to expand. We already supply natural gas to 16 countries,  10 of which are members of the European Union. Thus, in terms of the  geographic reach of pipeline gas supplies, Azerbaijan ranks first in  the world," the Azerbaijani president continued.

In conclusion, touching on the European Parliament's criticism of  Azerbaijan, Aliyev noted that Baku has stopped responding to it. "It  is absolutely clear that this biased position toward Azerbaijan is  being created by special lobby groups, special forces that cannot  accept Azerbaijan's independent policy. Therefore, we have not  cooperated with the European Parliament or the Parliamentary Assembly  of the Council of Europe for many years. We cooperate with the  European Commission, and that is enough for us. But I think the  European Parliament is putting itself in a very awkward position by  accusing us of something we have never done, including a so-called  aggressive stance toward Armenia, while Armenia itself values its  relations with Azerbaijan," Aliyev said.

In this vein, he expressed hope that members of the European  Parliament will find the courage to reconsider their "unfair policy"  toward Azerbaijan.