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Despite his long and impressive career, Mr Ambassador upon this, I came to the conclusion that I needed to
is a modest man. When he talks about his country; his do something for my country other than just giving
eyes shine. This year, Azerbaijan celebrates an important my lectures and seminars. So, driven by this political
historic event, the 100th anniversary of the creation of euphoria which was in the air at that time, and being
the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic. The country has more ambitious than now, I thought perhaps the time
indeed a fascinating history, and, thanks to the United had come to do something different.
Nations historical archives, more than 36,000 pages of
the documents, from the days when Azerbaijan was an That was the mindset of my generation, and that was the
independent state, in1918- 1920, and a member of the reason why the period 1990-1991 changed the status quo
League of Nations, have been scanned and sent off to the and the daily life of many of my generation. This is how
Azerbaijani National Library. In 1920, the country was I found myself in the diplomatic service of Azerbaijan at
absorbed by the Soviet Union and was part of it for more the beginning of 1992. Since then, I have tried to serve my
than 70 years before the country regained its independence country and my people in the same way that I tried earlier
in 1991. It is a subject close to His Excellency's heart, to teach young people.
and he has spent hours in the archives looking for rare
documents. Last year, in October, an important delegation Q: Before coming to Geneva, you were based in Italy
consisting of the Deputy Prime-Minister and the Minister working closely with the Rome-based United Nations
of Culture came to Geneva to receive these documents and agencies. Was that your only experience at the multi-
to participate in the celebration of the 25th anniversary of lateral level of diplomacy before Geneva?
Azerbaij an's membership in the United Nations. We will Since my very first days in the diplomatic service of
leave the floor to his Excellency, who kindly accepted to Azerbaijan, I have been dealing with the international
tell us more about all these subjects and, not least, answer organisations. I started my professional work in the
all our questions. diplomatic service dealing with the political-military
institutions at that time, in particular our emerging
Q: Mr Ambassador, you have a long and impressive relationship with NATO.
career, could you tell us a little about yourself?
My career is long, but it's not extraordinary, given At that time, I was travelling a lot to Brussels. In 1994,
the history of the country in which I was born, the Azerbaijan became part of the Partnership for Peace
Soviet Union. I got my education in Azerbaijan when Programme initiated by NATO, and there were a lot
it was part of the Soviet Union. Before the sudden of events in the field of arms control, in particular
collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, I was conventional arms control. The situation of the former
a lecturer in the University. I was not even thinking Soviet Union's territories was changing quite rapidly, and
about a diplomatic career. I was focused on my career all the arms control agreements that had been in place
in academia and got my PhD at that time. Then all of under the Soviet Union needed to be adapted to the new
a sudden everything changed. We in the newly reborn configuration. The former USSR republics emerged then
Azerbaijan, which was like many others "elements" as new political entities, and so the obligations and the
in the Soviet Union, found ourselves in the mix of a commitments that had previously rested with the Soviet
difficult and challenging period - both politically, Union needed to be distributed among the new elements,
economically as well as foreign and domestic. Based the newly born countries.

14 DIVA - INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT