Interviews German politician Dr Werner Münch, former prime minister of Saxony-Anhalt and a former member of the CDU.
Q: You recently visited Azerbaijan as part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the republic's independence. As far as I know, this was not your first visit here?
A: Yes, it was not my first visit to your country; I visited Azerbaijan for the first time in 2004 and have paid regular visits here ever since. I extend political support to Azerbaijan in its contacts with European institutions - the Council of Europe, European Parliament and so on. I, as a former premier, have many contacts and certainly great political experience.
Q: What do you think about the prospects for Azerbaijan’s development?
A: First of all, I would like to say some words about the past. It has been 20 years since the development of the independent Azerbaijan Republic started and I, as someone who witnessed the past seven of these years, can say that the country’s development has been remarkable, which can be seen in the infrastructure, buildings, roads.
The country’s leadership is right to say that Azerbaijan is a bridge between West and East, North and South, a country where different religions coexist. The main problem is Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s position. I think we have to find a solution to this big problem. Azerbaijan’s position on the conflict is fair and I hope that this problem will be settled in the near future.
Q: Why doesn’t Europe take an active part in the resolution of the problem, when it says that it has major economic interests in Azerbaijan?
A: The Karabakh conflict is not a problem of economic interests, it is primarily a problem of human rights and international law. Certainly, there is the Minsk Group, uniting Russia, the United States and France, but they have their own differing interests which makes it impossible to find an unbiased solution to the conflict. Therefore, other influential countries and international institutions and the EU should deal closely with the problem settlement.
Q: The Armenian leadership states that Karabakh will not return to Baku’s jurisdiction. Can Azerbaijan learn from the experience of Germany, which successfully settled the problem of the country’s unification more than 20 years ago?
A: I think on Germany’s example, we had quite a similar situation, when Germany was divided into the FRG and GDR. And most German politicians before Germany’s unification said that this unification was impossible. But there were people who insisted on the resolution of the problem and believed that it would happen. It happened in 1990, when the democratic part of the country united with the part ruled by communist dictatorship.
I am sure that Azerbaijan will also have this chance for unification of its land. You have so many refugees and they have the complete right to return home. Therefore, I believe that the Germans are very good friends of Azerbaijan, which is why they understand your problem and are 100% on your side.
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