Taking questions from Leonid Parfenov, a writer of the magazine, the head of state said that he parliamentary elections cannot turn to ‘orange revolution’ due to some reasons. «Firstly, Azerbaijan is presidential country and even the changes in forces in the parliament the do not mean the changes in policy. Secondly, the nation has confidence in the reforms. Over the past 6 months the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 17%, while over one and half year of my term in power minimal salaries grew thrice and it is not the limit, the public budget rose 60%. Thirdly, the peculiarities of the opposition in difference to other countries of CIS are as follows it was in power in 1992-1993 and collapsed. Over 10 years Azerbaijan has seen the same people with the same position. So, there are not real terms for state d’coup in Azerbaijan,” Aliyev underscored.
The same time the President noted that a successful country is not built without state control, no matter ho many hydrocarbons are in the country. «This is my deep conviction and one of priorities in my political activities. When 40% of people live out poverty, while a year and half it was roughly 50% the democratization is not the theme which worries people first of all. Azerbaijan is also concerned in the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, unemployment, corruption. However, the problems cannot be resolved out of the democratic developments. This is the world tendency and it is inevitable. The best variant is to lead the processes,” he underlined.
According to Aliyev, to date the level of development of the Azerbaijani society, of course does not allow to apply the political standards of the West Europe and North America. However, it is possible to pursue a development policy, current non-readiness cannot justify the maintenance of such situation. For a man well aware of real world, the reverse direction is conservatism and isolation of the country – is simply fatal.
Touching upon the presidential elections in Azerbaijan in autumn of 2003 Aliyev noted that understanding its loss in the presidential elections, the opposition did not want to recognize it and took an attempt on forced accession to power. «They accuse us in overreaction, while the attacked on them and lorries ran over police. The then break was a forced action. I am for a dialogue at table and in the street. But how will the opposition behave on the elections day and after the elections? They are actually the last chance for those who sit chairs of “staff opposition” for 10-15-years, Aliyev underlined.
«We do not have any anxieties and our openness for the West – the United States and Europe, means multi-billion American and English investments, our active participation in the anti-terror fighting is not a favorable state, but policy for the interests of the nation. In the first year of the post-Soviet period Azerbaijan turned out a country with spectral perspectives: civil war, occupation of Karabakh by Armenia, and without integration into the world and western investments we would never survive. We well understand it,” the Azerbaijani leader noted.
Touching upon the foreign political orientation of Baku Aliyev said, «In difference to Armenia we are not advanced post of anyone. We hold a real and independent policy and it is well in regard to neighbors. In general, the most important in our region is the maintenance of the balance. We have mutual trust relationships with Iran, for instance we a Consulate in Tebriz, the center of South Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has a global problem, awaiting its resolution – the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. In the context of its resolution we could consider the variants for more active military integration and only. Maybe, it is easy to have a political patron, ‘elder brother’ – old or new, but it would never meet the interests of Azerbaijan.
In the conclusion Aliyev noted that he easily imagines himself out of the politics. «It is necessary to think over it, as the life does not end with the power,” the President underlined. (Trend)
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