"WE ARE ESTABLISHING A SERIOUS PARTNERSHIP"

In early May, Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenka paid an official visit to our country; analysts have already described it as historical, not so much for the number of agreements signed during the visit (10 agreements were signed) as for the totally positive atmosphere of bilateral relations. However, no matter how we choose to evaluate this visit, one thing is clear: serious and deeply positive changes have occurred in Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations in the recent period. Bilateral cooperation is actively being established between Baku and Minsk, trade turnover is growing, large-scale projects are being implemented, political dialogue is developing and the parties' positions on important international and regional problems are becoming closer.

So what was the catalyst for these developments? One of the most important and obvious reasons is that Minsk has reviewed its foreign policy and foreign economic priorities. Having encountered Moscow's policy of economic nationalism, the Belarusian leader, as an experienced economist and skilled politician, realized that unconditional reliance on Moscow no longer guarantees economic and political security. The "fraternal embrace" of Moscow turned out to be so strong that the Belarusian economy started choking, while the political elite sensed a real threat to its independence. It is no accident that, during his visit to Baku, the Belarusian leader stressed several times that relations between Minsk and Baku are free from "unscrupulous politics", probably hinting at the well-known attempts of the neighbouring country to put energy supply and economic pressure on Belarus.

Thus Minsk has launched a multifaceted foreign policy. This process coincided with Baku's interest in comprehensive cooperation with Minsk in both the political and economic spheres and is based on the compatibility and complementary nature of our economies and national markets, as well as the mutual aspiration of business circles to speed up cooperation in various sectors of the economy.

As we know, this visit was a return visit - in autumn 2006, the president of our country paid his first official visit to Belarus. The main directions and principles of cooperation were outlined during that visit. Now these directions lead to specific activity in such spheres as energy, mechanical industries and so on. We have to say that in diplomacy such a quick return visit testifies to either very close bilateral relations or to the parties' strong aspiration to achieve them. The results of the May visit totally confirm this evaluation. Ten documents were signed in Baku, including an agreement on friendship and cooperation, which is of fundamental importance to both countries and underlines the new quality of bilateral relations. Needless to say, Azerbaijan has not signed such agreements with every country. The great significance (and difference from similar agreements signed with other countries) is that it not only affirms the parties' commitment to ensuring the implementation of the "principles of respect for state sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders", but also contains a provision that "in compliance with UN regulations and OSCE documents, the parties will carry out work aimed at the peaceful settlement of conflicts on the basis of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of state borders". Thus, in our relations with Minsk, where the final conference on the settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict will be held (hence the name of the OSCE Minsk Group), we managed to agree not only on the generally-recognized principles of international relations, but also on a legal platform for the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict which meets Baku's interests.

In all, there were documents signed in Baku (in the economic, humanitarian and other spheres). This figure shows that there is quite a developed legal basis for interstate cooperation. However, not only did they sign documents in the Azerbaijani capital, they also resolved quite specific political and economic issues. In this regard, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that in his address to the Belarusian people on the eve of his visit to Baku, Belarusian President Lukhashenka paid special attention to our country. Stressing that Azerbaijan confidently maintains its leading position in the region, he noted the importance of establishing close relations with our country. The Belarusian leader noted the need to initiate mutually beneficial joint projects not only in the energy sphere, but also in the spheres of industry, agriculture, services, high technology and so on. He emphasized that many goods imported by Azerbaijan are made in Belarus and that cooperation with our country could become a factor in strengthening the Belarusian economy.

Indeed, economic cooperation already provides a strong basis for Azerbaijani-Belarusian relations. In this regard, the Belarusian president made a fair point at his news conference on the signing of the joint agreements, saying that the pace of cooperation here is historical. The growth in commodity turnover is impressive - in five years (from 2002 to 2006) its volume increased fivefold and reached 25m dollars. Taking into account that the locomotive of bilateral cooperation is the Minsk Tractor Plant and the BelavtoMAZ company, we can confidently predict that this level will increase several times over in the next few years. 

In connection with the agreement that was signed in Minsk on 24 November 2006, 390 tractors and lorries will be assembled at the Ganca Car Plant this year and more than 600 in 2008. Thereafter about 1,000 vehicles will be assembled every year. Cooperation in this sphere will create almost 4,000 jobs in our country.

Cooperation in the fuel and energy sector could also be important. It is clear that Minsk would like to achieve specific results in this sphere and participate in real projects with Azerbaijan's support, as it is interested in diversifying energy supplies. Minsk is interested not only in crude oil supplies, but in its transit to Europe through Belarusian territory (theOdessa-Brody project), as well as in participation in the implementation of oil projects in Azerbaijan. As for the position of our country on the Odessa-Brody project, President Ilham Aliyev clearly expressed it at the news conference on the results of the signing of bilateral documents on 2 May: "We gave it the necessary political support, and now the commercial aspect is being studied. If it is of benefit to our country, we will work on the implementation of this project," Ilham Aliyev stressed.

We must point out that economic and fuel and energy cooperation are not the only items on the bilateral agenda. Recognizing that serious economic interests form the basis of the newly active relationship, the parties are also in favour of speeding up cooperation in the humanitarian sphere and interaction between the two countries' regions, improving the coordination of our diplomats' work in various international organizations and ensuring the further development of the legal basis of cooperation.

Speaking in Baku and addressing President Aliyev, President Lukashenka pointed out that "you found friends and partners there in the centre of Europe, but we found friends in the Transcaucasus". The importance of this statement of the leader of friendly Belarus is not only that he presents his country as a central European one, thus reflecting the nature of the changes happening in that country and the understanding by its leadership of the new more pro-European role of Belarus on the political map of the world. What is also important is that Azerbaijan has really found a new partner in Minsk in an extremely important geopolitical region. Taking account of the strategic position of Belarus, which borders on Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic states and eastern Europe, its tremendous economic and scientific potential, as well as transit opportunities, friendship and cooperation with such a partner might become a strong factor in the strengthening of the regional and international positions of our country. Azerbaijan has already established friendly relations with Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland and the Baltic states. By adding Belarus to this list, Baku could regard as accomplished the important geopolitical task of forming between the Black and Baltic seas a complete arch of friendly states interested in the security and welfare of our country.