Christina Ojuland: "It is very important that the world community supports restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan"

- Can the recent events in the Caucasus raise the interest of the world community in the resolution of the regional conflicts?

- I think the war in Georgia has certainly intensified international interest in your region. As is said, every cloud has a silver lining. All have seen that protracted conflicts, such as a conflict in South Ossetia, are just "frozen" and can breed new conflicts.

- Which prospects does the Nagorno Karabakh settlement have in this sense?

- I think Azerbaijan has recently received huge international support in the sense of Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution. And it is very important that the world society supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country.

- Azerbaijan and Georgia have chosen integration with European and Euroatlantic structures as an undoubted priority of their external policy. Can their NATO membership eliminate the current threats to their security and promote the resolution of the regional conflicts?

- Here it is important that the political leadership of your country continues striving for Euroatlantic structures. We in Estonia support it very much. The most important that you have such an intention.

Second, it is necessary to work much to reach this goal. If for example, we speak about Georgia, they have done much in the NATO direction and in this sense I do hope that Azerbaijan and Georgia will continue cooperation in this issue. If Georgia manages to join NATO, it will open more opportunities for Azerbaijan. At the same time, you have another neighbor - Turkey - which has been the NATO member for many years, so you need to continue cooperation and prepare well. I can say from our experience: if you are thrown away from the window, you must enter from the door. Most of our friends in Europe have been persuading Estonia not to join NATO for many years. But the accession of our country to this organization in 2004 has become the most important political step for Estonia in the sense of security. Therefore, we understand your intention.

You should not think of NATO as of only military organization. NATO is an organization, based on common values. And if such a state, as Azerbaijan, shares these values, then I think that there is a place for Azerbaijan in NATO.

/Day.Az/