Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the summit on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization

- Dear Mr. President!

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the President of Turkey, my dear brother Mr. Abdullah Gul, for the high level of organization of this summit and the warm hospitality extended to us. I am very glad to be in brotherly Turkey again.

Azerbaijan highly appreciates the activities of the BSEC. I think that in 20 years our organization has evolved into an important international organization. We can say that the history of the organization overlaps with the history of our country's independence. Last year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the restoration of our independence. For 20 years Azerbaijan has taken an active part in various international organizations, our work has also been active in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.

Over the years our country has covered a long road. The main direction of our organization in the economic sphere has been economic cooperation. Azerbaijan has conducted radical economic reforms, has successfully implemented major economic and infrastructure projects in recent years.

Over the past eight years our GDP, i.e. our economy, has grown three times, poverty reduced five times, more than a million jobs were created. Public debt constitutes 7 per cent of the GDP. Even the economic crisis that has swept the world and Europe has not had a big impact on Azerbaijan. In recent months, three of the world's leading rating agencies have raised the sovereign rating of Azerbaijan.

The initiatives and specific projects put forward by Azerbaijan have greatly facilitated regional cooperation. We have a very fruitful economic cooperation with most member-countries of the organization. Our trade is growing. Azerbaijan is closely involved in the regional cooperation of Caspian, Black and Mediterranean seas. I repeat, all our initiatives are becoming a reality.

In particular, the implemented and ongoing projects in the energy and transport sectors have practically redrawn the region’s energy and transportation map. The commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline in 2006 and of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline in 2007 opened new corridors in the region. Of three our pipelines two transport our resources to Black Sea ports and one to a Mediterranean port. Azerbaijan has also become a transit country for energy resources. So this cooperation is deepening. I repeat, Azerbaijan will continue to be active in the cooperation among countries of the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean regions.

At the end of this year we expect to complete another major project. The commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will revive the ancient Silk Road. This project will link not only the three countries involved but also, in a broader sense, the Asian and European continents. I am very pleased that we are successfully completing this project. I remember saying at a BSEC summit in Istanbul five years ago that the construction of the railway would soon begin. I can now say that all the work will be completed by the end of this year and starting next year the international corridor Baku-Tbilisi-Kars will become operational.

This is a specific project. I believe that even closer integration of member states and joint economic initiatives will strengthen our organization and increase our economic strength.

I would also like to touch upon regional security issues. Regional cooperation is on an upward trend, so we should pay great attention to security. Unfortunately, the situation in this area is not as we would have liked. In particular, with regard to Azerbaijan, our internationally recognized territorial integrity has been breached by Armenia for many years. As a result of Armenia's aggression and the policy of ethnic cleansing, 20 per cent of our lands are still under occupation, more than a million Azerbaijanis are refugees and IDPs in their native land. All reputable international organizations have expressed their position on this issue. The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on the issue, demanding an unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied lands. Unfortunately, these resolutions remain unfulfilled, the occupation continues, the war continues, which of course causes an escalation of tensions in the region.

First of all, the cause of the conflict must be eliminated, the occupation must end. After this, stability will be established in the region and new wonderful conditions created for economic cooperation.

I reiterate that we are interested in deepening this cooperation. The projects initiated by Azerbaijan in the region are contributing to our common cause. I hope that our organization will become even stronger in the coming years, that the projects discussed today will become a reality and unite our countries even closer together.

I want to thank my dear brother Abdullah Gul again for the hospitality. I am sure that the summit will be successful and produce excellent results. Thank you.