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Trend News Agency (16 June 2021)

The full text of the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey has been published, Trend reports.

The text of the document reads:

The Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey,

- emphasizing the historical importance of the meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Shusha, which is the cradle of the ancient culture of Azerbaijan and the entire Turkic world,

- once again reaffirming adherence to all international documents signed between the two fraternal and friendly countries, as well as the Treaty of Kars of October 13, 1921,

- guided by the ‘Treaty on Friendship and Development of Comprehensive Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey’ signed on February 9, 1994 and the ‘Protocol on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Azerbaijan and Turkey’, as well as the ‘Treaty on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance between Azerbaijan and Turkey’ signed on August 16, 2010,

- underlining that bringing the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey to a qualitatively new, allied level, proceeding from friendship and brotherhood between the two countries and their peoples, serves the interests of the two countries and their peoples,

- realizing the importance of combining opportunities and potentials in the political, economic, cultural, humanitarian, educational, social, youth, sports and health sectors of both countries to protect common interests,

- stressing the importance of continuing joint efforts to ensure global and regional peace, stability and security in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, including the UN Charter,

- expressing the need for mutual coordination in regional and international strategic issues,

- guided by the principles of solidarity and mutual support in bilateral and multilateral formats in matters based on such national interests as independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan and Turkey,

- combining efforts at the regional and international level in the implementation of mutual activities aimed at the long-term development of the Turkic world,

- emphasizing that the statements of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ‘The joy of Azerbaijan is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow’ and the slogan of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev ‘One nation, two states’ are assessed as the national and spiritual value of the two peoples,

- Having comprehensively considered the prospects for further deepening and expanding bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, declare:

- The sides, expressing satisfaction in connection with the state of relations between the two fraternal and friendly countries developing at the strategic level, note the importance of continuing the political dialogue at all levels and high-level mutual visits.

- The sides note with pride that having won the victory in 44 days of the Patriotic War, Azerbaijan put an end to the aggressive policy of Armenia, which lasted 30 years, liberated its lands, ensured the triumph of historical justice and the restoration of international law.

- Azerbaijan highly appreciates the moral and political support of Turkey in ending the 30-year-old aggression of Armenia, liberating the occupied lands, restoring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The parties will continue to make efforts to strengthen stability and security, restore all economic and transport ties, as well as normalize relations between the countries of the region and ensure sustainable peace in the Caucasus region. In this context, the special geographical situation of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will be taken into account.

- The sides emphasize that the contribution made by Turkey to the work of the Turkish-Russian joint center in the liberated territories plays an important role in ensuring peace and stability in the region.

- Azerbaijan and Turkey determine the political and legal mechanisms of allied relations, guided by the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders, non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

- The sides note the importance of coordination in the field of foreign policy and conducting systematic bilateral political consultations, emphasize the importance of activities within the framework of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in this direction.

- The parties pursue an independent foreign policy aimed at protecting and ensuring their national interests. The parties make joint efforts to develop international relations based on peace, friendship and good neighborliness through stability and prosperity on a regional and international scale, as well as to resolve conflicts and issues of regional and global security and stability.

- The parties, demonstrating solidarity and mutual support on international issues that are relevant and of mutual interest, speaking from a similar or coinciding position, will strengthen bilateral cooperation and will mutually support each other within regional and international organizations, including the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe , Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, OIC.

- If, in the opinion of one of the parties, there is a threat to its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders or security or aggression from a third state or states, then the parties will hold joint consultations and, in order to eliminate this threat or aggression, will take an appropriate initiative in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, will provide the necessary assistance to each other in accordance with the UN Charter. The scope and form of this support will be determined through immediate discussions, and a decision will be made on meeting defense needs for joint activities, coordinated activities of the armed forces will be organized.

- Joint meetings of the Security Councils of the Parties on national security issues will be regularly held. At these meetings, issues of national interests, regional and international security, concerning the interests of the Parties, will be discussed.

- The sides will continue to make joint efforts to form and modernize the armed forces of the two fraternal countries in accordance with modern requirements.

- The parties, taking the demining of the territories as a basis, will support activities to normalize life in the regions liberated from the Armenian occupation.

- The parties will promote the exchange of personnel of the armed forces, conduct joint exercises, increase the combat effectiveness of the armies of the two countries, close cooperation in the management of weapons using modern technologies, ensuring for this purpose the coordination of authorized structures and organizations. Azerbaijan and Turkey will support joint military exercises with the armies of other friendly countries.

- The parties, carrying out a mutual exchange of technologies in the maritime, air and space spheres, taking into account national and international obligations, will encourage the implementation of joint projects to develop joint capabilities, make a mutual positive contribution to the development of defense industry technologies, equip each other with weapons and ammunition, and mutually encourage their production and support the creation of production sites, as well as joint research and production work, cooperation of defense industry structures of the two countries in the domestic and international markets in the fields of technology, military products and services.

- The parties declare that the military-political cooperation developing between the two states and meeting their national interests is not directed against third countries.

- The parties emphasize the importance of further developing cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and will support joint research, technical cooperation in this sphere and train engineering personnel.

- The parties in trade and economic relations will multiply their efforts to diversify national economies and import, as well as in the areas of joint production in promising spheres, favorable conditions for the mutually beneficial development of investment cooperation. In this context, Azerbaijan and Turkey will take measures to create mechanisms for the free movement of goods.

The parties emphasize the leading role of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the implementation of the strategic ‘Southern Gas Corridor’ contributing to the energy security of the region and Europe. The parties, in coordination with each other, will continue to make efforts aimed at rational use and further development of the Southern Gas Corridor. The parties express their intention to continue and increase efforts that will contribute to regional cooperation in the field of energy.

In order to increase the competitiveness of the East-West transport corridor and the Middle International Transport Corridor passing through their territory, the parties will strengthen mutual cooperation. Azerbaijan and Turkey will continue to develop the transit and transport potential of international transport corridors using intelligent transport systems.

- The parties note that the opening of the Zangezur corridor between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which will connect Azerbaijan and Turkey, and the construction of the Nakhchivan-Kars railway will make an important contribution to the intensification of transport and communication ties between the two countries.

- The parties emphasize that the current level of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan contributes to the general regional and international peace and prosperity, and these relations, bringing peace and prosperity not only to the two countries, but also to the region, will serve stability, peace and the interests of the international community.

The parties will expand and deepen their joint efforts and cooperation in the field of combating various threats and challenges that have a negative impact on regional and international stability and security, in particular terrorism, all its forms and manifestations, financing, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal migration.

The Republic of Azerbaijan condemns any activity directed against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, stability and security of the Republic of Turkey, including all forms and manifestations of terrorism, and resolutely supports the fight the Republic of Turkey is waging against terrorism.

The parties will consolidate their efforts to further develop cooperation between Azerbaijani and Turkish diasporas living in different countries, take joint action against common problems they face and show consistent solidarity.

The parties will encourage coordination and mutual support of diaspora activities in representing their countries and communicating the historical truth related to the protection of national interests to the world.

The parties, stressing that Armenia's unfounded claims against Turkey, attempts to distort history and politicize historical facts through their distortion, harm peace and stability in the region, strongly support the efforts of Turkey in this context, which has opened its archives in connection with the events of 1915 in order to encourage the opening of archives in Armenia and other countries and enable a research to be conducted on this topic by historians.

In accordance with the “Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Turkey in the Field of Media” signed on 10 December 2020, the parties, taking into account the capabilities of the Azerbaijan-Turkish media platform, will further strengthen cooperation between relevant agencies of the two countries in the field of information, communication and public diplomacy. Within this framework, active consultations and exchanges of information will be regularly held between the ministers of foreign affairs.

The parties encourage further strengthening of inter-parliamentary cooperation and increased interaction in this direction.

The parties will ensure the provision of the necessary public support for important manifestations of the common values of the two peoples and carry out joint activities to protect the historical and cultural heritage.

The parties note the intensification of national and international efforts that will serve the unity and well-being of the Turkic world.

The parties will strengthen cooperation in the field of promoting and advancing Turkic cultural heritage at the international level.

In order to further strengthen Turkic cooperation, the parties will give an impetus to the activities carried out within the framework of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, the Turkic Academy, the Foundation of Turkic Culture and Heritage, TURKSOY and the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries.

The parties express their satisfaction with the agreement reached on the entry of citizens of one party into the territory of the other party with domestic passports only and, noting the exceptional importance of this agreement in terms of proximity between our peoples and ties between them, approve the adoption of appropriate measures to enable citizens of one party to obtain the right to reside in the territory of the other party in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.

The parties, providing the necessary state support, will continue to develop and deepen close ties on the basis of common values in the humanitarian sphere, in the field of social protection, science, education, healthcare, culture, youth and sports. To this end, relevant agencies of the two countries will carry out joint activities on a permanent basis.

This Declaration is signed in the city of Shusha on 15 June 2021 in the Azerbaijani and Turkish languages in two original copies, and all texts are equally authentic.

https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/3440715.html