Activity of foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which purposefully strengthened its international authority and regional leadership, considerably increased throughout 2006.

        In his August 14 address to the second meeting of heads of diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev assessed activity of the foreign service and defined further goals and objectives of the Ministry in providing national security, sustainable development and protecting citizens' interests.

        During the period, foreign policy activities of the Ministry were based on national interest, with consideration of geopolitics, threats and challenges of the modern age. Productive international political, political-military and humanitarian cooperation, intensive participation in the international economic integration processes, contribution to promoting global and European energy security, as well as development of regional transportation communications should be especially mentioned. Growing influence of Azerbaijan in international relations is based on the conceptually new role for our state, purposeful reforms and development of the nation's political and economic potential.

        Settlement of the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on adherence to sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally-recognized borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued being a foreign policy priority.

        During the negotiations between two countries' heads of state and foreign ministers within the framework of the so-called Prague process, Azerbaijan clearly demonstrated constructive approaches to the problems' settlement and maximally utilized existing opportunities for progress.

        Balanced and well-planned strategy, based on primary necessity to deal away with the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, establishing conditions for return of displaced population to their homes and peaceful co-existence of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabkh region, restoration of communications, social and economic development of the region, followed by definition of its legal status within the Republic of Azerbaijan and based on its Constitution, has been implemented purposefully.

        Efforts in the direction resulted in further consolidation of the international community's position, based on support for the strategy and constructive approach of Azerbaijan.

        Measures aimed at countering illegal activity in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan were implemented. Thus, international community's attention was drawn to the massive fires in parts of these territories along the contact line, resulting in considerable damage to the environment and bio-diversity in Azerbaijan. Having considered situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, 60th session of the UNGA unanimously adopted resolution on the issue submitted by Azerbaijan. In the document, serious concern with fires in those territories was expressed and necessity of conducting ecological operation to extinguish the fires and overcome their detrimental consequences was underlined.

        Condemnation by the international community of the so-called "constitutional referendum" in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan re-affirmed that the attempts by the Armenian side to force fait accompli policy were in vain. Special statements of the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe, GUAM, leading nations of the world, as well as the OSCE Minsk Group recognized the so-called "referendum" as illegal with no legal effect.

        Principled and unequivocal support was voiced by the Riga NATO Summit in November. Members of the North-Atlantic Alliance stated the necessity of continued efforts to achieve peaceful settlements to the conflicts in South Caucasus and Moldova based on territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of the region's states.

        Azerbaijan continued to pay significant attention in its foreign policy to uncovering and countering threats of separatism and connected terrorism, transnational organized crime, illegal drug circulation and other illegal actions. All possible bilateral, global and regional formats of interaction with partners have been utilized, inter-state informational exchanges were pursued actively, Azerbaijan's active participation in international fight against terrorism and organized crime, as well as in channeling international support into development of respective national structures and resources was promoted.

        Adoption of the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan, envisaging qualitatively new level of bilateral dialogue, and also of cooperation in implementing political, social and humanitarian, economic and institutional reforms, provided added impetus to strengthening partnership and bringing Azerbaijan and the EU closer. Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan in the field of energy signed during President Aliyev's visit to Brussels became a direct result of active foreign policy aimed at promoting Europe's energy security, as well as developing Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure.

        President Aliyev's visit to the NATO headquarters, a significant event in Azerbaijan's foreign policy, opened a new stage of partnership between Azerbaijan and the Alliance. In his program statement at the North-Atlantic Council and in the meeting with NATO Secretary-General, the Azerbaijani President underscored priority nature of the Euro-Atlantic integration in Azerbaijan's foreign policy and continuity of policy aimed at its integration in the common European space of security, free market and democracy.

        Important steps were undertaken to develop conceptual basis of reforms in defense and security areas. In 2006, process of preparing the national security concept, enshrining European and Euro-Atlantic experience in security policy planning and development of support system, entered the final phase. The process is led by the Foreign Ministry and includes all relevant state bodies, with the support from a group of international experts.

        Azerbaijan continued to pay considerable attention to participation in the Organization of the Islamic Conference. During the 33rd Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers on June 19-21, 2006 in Baku the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan was elected to chair the Conference for the upcoming year. In this capacity Azerbaijan supported active participation by the OIC in deliberations within international and regional organizations, sponsored a number of initiatives aimed at promoting inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue, development of tolerance and mutual understanding, spreading awareness of Islam, its principles and philosophy, as an effective tool of countering islamophobia.

        In the relevant OIC Conference documents, Foreign Ministers of the member states reiterated their firm position of solidarity with Azerbaijan, condemning continuing Armenian aggression and calling for the unconditional withdrawal from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

        Promotion of the national interest in the foreign economic sphere remained one of the priority directions of activities in the framework of global and regional organizations. Azerbaijan's accession to the World Trade Organization continued to be a central issue. President's decree endorsing legislation improvement in accordance with WTO standards was an important step to this end.

        Azerbaijan, as chairman of the Economic Cooperation Organization, held the 9th summit and the 16th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the ECO member-states in Baku. The capital of Azerbaijan was also the venue for several other events under the aegis of international and regional organizations.

        Diplomatic service of Azerbaijan continued taking necessary efforts within the relevant international frameworks in order to help easing the difficult living conditions of Azerbaijani refugees and displaced persons. In this regard, visits of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, President of the International Red Cross Committee, Executive Director of the UN World Food Program and Executive Director of the UN Development Fund for Women to Azerbaijan should be especially mentioned. Acquaintance of the high-level international bureaucrats with the living conditions of the displaced, as well as WFP and UNIFEM endorsement of the two-year projects on assistance to the underprivileged groups of population and on poverty reduction aim at adoption of the necessary measures for resolution of the acute humanitarian problems in Azerbaijan.

        Azerbaijan continued active efforts in the UN, stressing the importance of violations of norms and principles of international humanitarian law. In particular, UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Azerbaijan-initiated resolution on the missing persons.

        Migration problems and connected issues of strengthening the state potential on management of the migration processes in collaboration with international organizations were among the main topics during the visit of the General Director of the International Organization for Migration and various projects conducted by the Government together with IOM in this sphere.

        One of the important regional foreign policy directions remained enhancement and deepening the cooperation of the GUAM nations. At the Kyiv summit last year, four Heads of States transformed the group into a full-fledged regional international "Organization for democracy and economic development-GUAM". The major attention was paid to the consolidation of common approaches of the GUAM states to the conflcit resolution in their territories and to countering increasing security risks. As a result of the consistent efforts of the GUAM nations in this direction, the GUAM summit adopted relevant joint declaration and item on protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development was included into the UN General Assembly agenda.

        One of the foreign policy priorities for Azerbaijan remained participation in development of the common approaches to counter the security risks and challenges within the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, participated at the June summit of this organization in Almaty.

        One of the outcomes of realization of Azerbaijan's role as a bridge between Europe and Asia was agreement with Kazakhstan to facilitate and create favorable conditions for transportation of the Kazakhstani oil to the world markets via Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as completion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline project and attraction of the Central Asian partners to this project. In the framework of development of strategically important project on creation of the transport corridor linking the Caspian and Mediterranean basins, construction of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railroad entered the final stage of solving the planning issues.

        Azerbaijan also succeeded in ensuring better representation within international institutions. Thus, Azerbaijan became the only nation from South Caucasus to be elected at the UN General Assembly session to the newly established Human Rights Council for the term ending in 2009.

        2006 was also marked by further strengthening of bilateral relations. Numerous visits by President Ilham Aliyev to the foreign countries played special role in this process. In accordance with the head of state - declared course on development and strengthening bilateral partnership relations with leading world nations, President visited the U.S., Russia, Japan, and European countries.

        Intensive visits of the Foreign Minister and his talks contributed to further development of the bilateral component of Azerbaijani foreign policy. Numerous mutual visits, sessions of intergovernmental commissions and working groups, as well as expansion of the treaty-legal basis facilitated deepening bilateral cooperation. In 2006, the work on the project of the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea continued. Marking entrance into the force of the Framework Convention on protection of the Caspian sea environment, it was decided to conduct the first conference of the participating states in Baku.

        Besides, diplomatic presence of Azerbaijan consistently expanded and embassies in Belarus, Malaysia, Morocco and the Republic of Korea were opened this year. Currently, preparations are underway to further increase the number of the foreign missions of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

        Improvement of the MFA structure and increasing professionalism of the diplomats continued. In 2006, Foreign Service body started implementation of the Presidential decree on establishment of the Azerbaijani MFA Diplomatic Academy.

        The legal basis of the Azerbaijani diplomatic service was strengthened. Thus, the head of state endorsed the regulations on embassies and permanent representations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the statute of the Diplomatic Academy.

        Special attention was drawn to timely and comprehensively informing public on activities of the diplomatic service on fulfillment of its functions and tasks, constituting the basis of the foreign policy of the State.