In the early 1990s, when we gained independence, we expected a lot from the international community, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmat Hajiyev, said during his speech at the first General Assembly of the Global South NGO Platform (GSNP) in Baku, APA reports.
According to him, this did not happen, and Azerbaijan ensured justice on its own: “We also ensured the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions ourselves. Therefore, as Global South countries, understanding that double standards and different challenges already exist within multilateral institutions and the international system, we should take leadership in our own regions and ensure peace and order, cooperation and collaboration. Azerbaijan, as a friend and partner, is ready to contribute to all these endeavors. We are starting from our own region. We are building peace, justice, cooperation and collaboration. By saying this, our intention in coming together with civil society institutions and NGOs of the Global South countries is not to substitute official diplomatic channels of our respective countries. But I’m sure you will agree that we can complement their endeavors. We can also make the voices of our societies and communities well heard at the global level, living up to their expectations and aspirations. I am confident that by bringing together the potential of NGOs and civil society institutions through the General Assembly, we will contribute to these initiatives globally.”
At the same time, Hikmat Hajiyev noted that nearly 13 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory has been contaminated with landmines as a result of military occupation.
“But we have ended it, and we have ensured our sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also launched cooperation and engagement with neighboring Armenia. It also demonstrates our goodwill, goodwill of winning the peace,” the presidential aide added.