Azerbaijan, as an island of stability in a region under pressure, deserves the special attention of the European Union (EU).
According to “Elchi”, this was stated by former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme during his speech at a panel discussion held within the framework of the XIII Global Baku Forum.
According to him, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the country has great opportunities for economic development.
“Azerbaijan has seen impressive achievements over the last 15-20 years. We must understand that Azerbaijan’s attention needs to be earned. We are obliged to respect Azerbaijan as a partner with whom dialogue is essential,” he said.
I. Leterme emphasized that the EU must respect Azerbaijan as a partner with whom dialogue is essential: “For example, when we interfere in the internal affairs of a country like Azerbaijan and adopt resolutions, we must understand that we are closing the doors for future negotiations.”
He stressed that it is also not effective to try to reach new agreements on energy supply after such interventions:
“For years, on the one hand, we interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs, and the next day we come and ask – “Can you sell us more gas?”. This is a typical European attitude that does not work in a world where interests outweigh values.”