Aliyev added that Azerbaijan's oil and gas export policy will remain "flexible" and driven by national interests -- an apparent thinly veiled reminder to Turkey about Baku's ability to choose between Turkey-based and Russia-based supply routes for its hydrocarbon products.
He added that "Azerbaijan has never interfered and will never interfere with [the] bilateral ties of other countries," Turan news agency reported.
Aliyev earlier snubbed an offer to participate in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Dialogue of Civilizations held on April 6 in Turkey.
Azerbaijani political parties represented in Azerbaijani Parliament issue statement against the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders
Azerbaijani political parties represented in Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani Parliament) held joint meeting on Tuesday in a protest against the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders, APA reported.
Representatives of the parties of New Azerbaijan, Social Welfare, Ana Vatan, Great System, Justice, Umid, All Azerbaijan Popular Front, Citizen Solidarity, Citizen Unity and Democratic Reforms attended the meeting. The parliamentarians noted that Turkey's talks toward the opening of borders and establishing of diplomatic relation with Armenia could seriously damage the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations and the idea of Turkic unity completely. The opening of Turkey-Armenia borders was estimated as a support to the aggressors and it was noted that this action would negatively impact on the peace talks over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The participants of the meeting called on the Turkish authorities to avoid this action. The political parties issued a joint statement.
Azerbaijani people and public community concern over the Turkey's talks toward the opening of borders and establishing of diplomatic relations with Armenia and protest against it, the statement reads. "Respecting the Turkey's independent foreign policy, we would like to state that on the back of occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, turning of more than one million people into refugees and displaced persons, killing of thousands of peaceful people, committing Khojali Genocide against the humanity, such action will be a support to the Armenia's occupant policy, false "genocide" claims and its actions to create military-political tensions and humanitarian crisis in the region. It will be painful damage on the Turkey-Azerbaijan brotherhood and on the ideas of Turkic solidarity. It will be credulity to think that Armenians will leave their insidious intentions of territorial claims against Turkey on the plea of so-called "Armenian genocide" after the opening of the borders". The authors of the statement say that the policy aiming to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus declared by the Turkish authorities can not only be restricted to the reopening of borders with Armenia.
"The only guarantee of stability in the region should be withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories and restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Otherwise, the reopening of the borders with Armenia will become a factor having negative impact on the ongoing processes and peace talks in the region and serving to increase tension and confrontation," the statement says.
The parties signing the statement once more note that they attach great importance to Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic partnership and, protest against the steps taken by Turkish authorities for the reopening of borders with Armenia and state that such an act is not in line with friendly relations between the countries and peoples and that this policy contradicts the interests of Turkish Republic. The parties call on Turkish authorities not to establish relations or open borders with Armenia.
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