Azerbaijani Foreign Minister: Azerbaijan deserves to participate in UN Security Council

"Azerbaijan deserves to participate in the activities of the UN Security Council, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

"We believe that for 20 years, we have passed a long way, made great and serious successes, and it gives the country the right to be represented in the authoritative body of the UN," Mammadyarov said.

"The situation is quite complicated, since besides Azerbaijan, two more countries - Slovenia and Hungary claim for the seat," Mammadyarov underscored. The candidates are members of the EU and they have the appropriate support from the EU and from the EU countries. But in any case, we feel the support of Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation. These countries are traditional allies of Azerbaijan."

Azerbaijan has nominated its candidature for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2012-2013 from the East European group. The election will be held on Oct. 21.

According to the minister, as part of participation in the session of the UN General Assembly in New York, he conducted maximum number of meetings with heads of delegations, and the partner-countries of Azerbaijan, especially from these two groups expressed support at all meetings.

"Despite having about one million refugees and internally displaced persons, driven out from their native lands as a result of Armenian aggression, Azerbaijan in recent years assumed such a mission as providing assistance and support to underdeveloped countries. The most recent example is the assistance to Somali people and this is not the end," he said.

The minister said now the country considers other options to assist such countries in the future, maybe not with finance, but with food.

"Azerbaijan has provided assistance to states affected by natural disasters ," Mamadyarov added. "This procedure has been set up. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry has established a special department, which provides risk assessment and implement appropriate humanitarian programs."


/Trend/