Foreign envoys take office

New UN Resident-Coordinator pledges to tackle refugee problem

In his introductory meeting with the Azerbaijan President, a new UN Resident-Coordinator in Azerbaijan Mr. Marco Borsotti forwarded a letter of the United Nations Secretary General, where the previous head of the mission is being called back and a new diplomat being appointed. The UN official voiced his gratitude to the Azerbaijan Government for approving his candidacy and a hope for productive cooperation.

After congratulating Mr. Borsotti, the head of state said there was a lot of work in store for his team, the most important segment of which is the problem of refugees and IDPs. The President then criticized the UN for failing to enforce 4 of its Security Council resolutions, which demand an unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azeri territories. Such developments have naturally led to utter public indignation in Azerbaijan toward UN, the President concluded. Mr. Borsotti pledged that the comments made by the President would take center-stage in his work in Azerbaijan. "I will do my utmost for the world community to wake up the situation here and to alleviate the suffering imposed on the victims of the conflict. That is why I have planned to work actively in the humanitarian sphere", he said. The UN Resident-Coordinator then expressed his fervent hope for cooperating with the Azerbaijan Government for the sake of economic development of Azerbaijan.

New ambassadors

President Aliyev has also accepted the letters-of-credentials from the newly-appointed French ambassador Mrs. Chantal Poiret.

After passing on the greetings from the French President Jacques Chirac, the ambassador said France was interested in strengthening the state independence of Azerbaijan and was ready to offer full cooperation along this road.

As a country co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, France is ready to use its authority to facilitate solution to the Garabagh conflict, she said and added that France and Azerbaijan were joining effort in combating international terrorism.

The French government is pleased to know that Azerbaijan is attaching particular importance to the freedom of religion. The diplomat then indicated that France is home to 5 million Muslims who practice their religion freely and without any constraints.

Having congratulated the diplomat on being appointed, the President stated that there was solid foundation for cooperation between the two countries. Saying that his first official visit in the capacity of president was paid to France in 1993, H. Aliyev mentioned that he had been to Paris twice this year too. He then emphasized that Azerbaijan was very hopeful of the contribution France and Mr. Chirac personally could make to the resolution of the Garabagh conflict.

Also on Monday, a new Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan Eitan Na'eh handed his credentials to President Aliyev. Saying that he is a third Israeli ambassador to Baku, Mr. Na'eh indicated that some 40,000 Jews had moved from Azerbaijan to Israel over the past years. They, he said, can play a crucial role in expanding bilateral relations. The Israeli diplomat emphasized that Azerbaijan and Israel could cooperate in agriculture, telecommunications, medicine, technologies, and petrochemical industry.

Congratulating the ambassador on being appointed, President Aliyev touched upon ancient historic ties binding the two countries together and said that Jews living in Azerbaijan had made a great contribution to the development of the country's science, culture and economy.

He said Jews feel free in Azerbaijan, whose economy is open to Israeli companies.

Speaking of terrorism, the President pledged that Azerbaijan would do its utmost to wipe out this evil from its soil.

Reaffirming his adherence to a negotiated settlement of all conflicts, the President said inter-state cooperation could be the best means for eradicating terror.

Azeri embassy in Israel

Azerbaijan will open an embassy in Israel in 2002, foreign minister Vilayat Guliyev said Monday. The political decision to that effect was made long ago, but delayed for financial constraints. The minister added that he is to pay an official visit to Israel next year.