Ryutaro Hashimoto: Honourable Mr. President Heydar Aliyev! I frankly welcome You. I am pleased with the meeting with You and greet You on behalf of Japanese people and myself. I express You my gratitude that You have accepted my invitation and paid an official visit to Japan. Very fruitful meetings lie ahead and I think this visit, being an historical event, will become an important stage of the further development of contacts between Japan and the Azerbaijan Republic.

I have shown interest in Azerbaijan since my early age. This interest has motivated me to get even a small piece of information about your country with great pleasure. You are an outstanding statesman of our epoch and I am well acquainted with Your life and activity.

A great interest in your republic has always been shown in Japan, the "Country of rising sun", situated at the beginning of the "Great silky way", which had trade links with Azerbaijan as early as in the past centuries. The people of our countries have always been close to each other. Japan attaches a special significance to the steady development of cooperation with Azerbaijan situated in a very important territory from a geostrategical point of view.

I express my confidence that this visit will become the beginning of a new stage of interrelationships not only between the two countries, but also in the history of political, economic and cultural contacts among the countries situated along the "Great silky way".

The government and society of Japan attentively keep up and perceive with interest the work done under the leadership of President Heydar Aliyev in the field of successful construction of legal, democratic and secular state and implementation of reforms in Azerbaijan, where new and new progress is achieved. I believe that the independent Azerbaijan Republic will take a worthy place in the world community.

Heydar Aliyev: Mr. Prime Minister! Honourable Ryutaro Hashimoto!

I express my gratitude for sincere words and hospitality. I appreciate you Mr. Hashimoto for the invitation to pay an official visit to Japan and stress that this visit has a great historical significance.

We attach special importance to the further deepening and strengthening of cooperation with Japan - one of the most developed countries of the world in all the spheres.

I want to state that a great work has been fulfilled in Azerbaijan in the area of socio-political situation, as well as in the construction of legal and democratic state and the reforms have been carried out. But despite the achievements, definite problems exist in our republic too.

I bring to your notice that Armenian armed troops, having committed aggression against Azerbaijan, occupied 20 percent of the territory of our country and over a million our citizens forcedly banished form their native places, live in hard conditions in tents.

The negotiations on peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been held within the framework of the Minsk group. The principles for the settlement of this conflict have been adopted at the OSCE Lisbon Summit in December 1996 and the co-chairs of the Minsk group - Russia, the USA and France have advanced proposals over peaceful solution of this conflict. We need your support in this area. We need Japan to support the just cause of Azerbaijan at international organizations and sittings.

We do our utmost for the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, however, the Armenian party ignores the resolutions of international organizations and generally accepted legal standards. We want the restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, inviolability of our borders and return of our refugees to their native places. And therefore, Azerbaijan has recognized the proposals forwarded by the co-chairs of the Minsk group as a basis and continues its strict efforts aimed at the settlement of this conflict based on the Lisbon principles.

Ryutaro Hashimoto: Japan backs up the state independence of Azerbaijan, its sovereignty and territorial integrity and we are the adherent of peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict based on the principles adopted at the OSCE Lisbon Summit. Japan backs up the just cause of Azerbaijan and emphatically denounces violent seizure of a territory of any country by another country.

Your visit to Japan marks a new stage in the development of contacts between our countries. The Azerbaijan-Japanese documents are of great significance and they establish a good legal basis for our continuous and developing cooperation.

Japan attaches great importance to the cooperation with Azerbaijan in all the spheres, including political, economic and cultural. Mid next year, the embassy of Japan to Azerbaijan will be opened in Baku. Japan is ready to render permanent assistance to the socio-political development of Azerbaijan.

Japan assumes to implement an appropriate program on rendering aid to Azerbaijan in the training of personnel and consecutive improvement of socio-political situation in your country having chosen the way of market economy and successfully carrying out reforms. I suggest establishing closer links between our countries. The government of Japan has allotted the most preferential credit to Azerbaijan for a project of construction of the "Severnaya" steam-to-gas power station to the sum of 20,7 billion yens (165 million US dollars). Besides, the most favourable credit at the rate of 75 million US dollars was allotted to finance a reconstruction project of the EP-300 facility in an ethylene-polyethylene plant. The favourable credit at 165 million dollars is extended for 40 years. Moreover, no repayment will be done by Azerbaijani side within the first 10 years. And within the next 30 years, the credit will be repaid by 0,75% annually. And the preferential credit at 75 million dollars will start to be repaid on the expiry of 3 years by 2,5% annually. At the same time, Japan has granted aid to Azerbaijan at the rate of 400 million yens (3 million and 250 thousand US dollars) to increase the production of foodstuffs.

Medical equipment to the sum of 1,7 million dollars will be sent to Azerbaijan for a tuberculosis hospital. The government of Japan will expand humanitarian aid to your country. At the same time, it will begin to render first aid to the refugees of Azerbaijan through the Supreme Commissar of the UNO for the affairs of refugees.

We positively estimate the contacts of the independent Azerbaijan Republic with international financial structures and support the affiliation of Azerbaijan to the Asian development bank and the International trade organization.

Recently, a meeting of donor-states rendering aid to your republic has been held in Tokyo. This event will have a positive impact upon the further expansion of aid to Azerbaijan. Japan backs up the projects assuming implementation of running development of economy of your republic. I consider important the further subsequent approachment of mutual links between our countries, in particular, in the sphere of energy. We lay great hopes on Azerbaijan as a new source in the world market on providing the world with energy supply.

I express my gratitude for the conditions provided for the Japanese companies in fulfilling the contracts concluded over joint development of oilfields in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea and emphasize that further development of contacts with your country in other areas will also bring a great benefit for both parties.

I highly appreciate the share holding agreement signed between the State oil company of Azerbaijan and the Japanese "Mitsui" Company. It is a constituent part of much greater development of mutual contacts between our countries.

Japan positively regards the project of reconstruction of the Nakhichevan airport. Japan also intends to assist in funding the completion of construction of the oncologic center in Baku.

Mr. President! I highly appreciate your visit to Japan as an historical event once again. The number of heads of states has arrived in Japan. However, such a deep interest shown in Your visit by the public and mass media is one of the unique events for Japan. I have a list of the meetings held by You. Such an intensive work causes my admiration.

Heydar Aliyev: The great interest shown in Japan in the consistent development of cooperation with Azerbaijan in all the spheres proves the successful prospects between our countries. I appreciate You, honorable Prime Minister for the attention shown to our independent state.

I emphasize with feeling of deep satisfaction the great success of my visit to Japan. I highly appreciate the "diplomacy of Silky way" declared by you and providing the development of all-round relations with the states of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. 33 countries are now situated along this way, which lied in due time from Asia up to Europe and for the discussion of matters connected with the future of the "Silky way", we have decided to hold an international conference of representatives of those countries in Baku, in May, 1998 with participation of the European Community and we would wish a Japanese delegation to partake at this conference as well.

Ryutaro Hashimoto: A Japanese delegation will participate at this international conference.

Heydar Aliyev: I remember with satisfaction the direct participation of the Japanese "Toshiba" Company in the construction of the air-conditioner plant in Azerbaijan. The "Itochu" also has a great share in the concluded "Contract of century" on joint development of oilfields in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. The "Mitsui" Company has been attracted to the implementation of another project. The negotiations with numerous Japanese companies have successfully resulted during this official visit.

I stress a great significance of study and application the rich experience of Japan in Azerbaijan. I am confident that the help rendered by this country to out republic in the line of personnel education will be much useful.

I emphasize the necessity of expansion of cooperation of our countries with international organizations. Azerbaijan upholds the election of Japan as a constant member of the Security Council of UNO.

Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Hashimoto, I invite You to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan.

The statement of Heydar Aliyev before journalists on February 26 in the building of the government of Japan after concluding bilateral documents between Japan and Azerbaijan

Honorable Prime Minister Hashimoto, honorable friends! I congratulate you on today`s event, on conclusion of very important documents - the "Joint declaration on friendship and partnership between the Azerbaijan Republic and Japan" and "Joint declaration on cooperation in the sphere of trade and economy between the Azerbaijan Republic and Japan". I consider that the conclusion of these documents, in particular, the declaration on friendship and partnership and commercial cooperation between Japan and Azerbaijan and other documents will open a new stage in the cooperation between our countries. I state that we will fulfill the obligations undertaken between our countries and will be reliable partners.

"Heydar Aliyev: Our independence is eternal" (speeches, statements, interviews, letters, appeals and decisions) - vol.14, Azerneshr, Baku-2005, p.383

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