Ziyafat Asgarov: If we see that Armenians are engaged in imitation, the military solution of the conflict will be inevitable" - INTERVIEW - PART II

Baku. 14 December. REPORT.AZ/ Second part of Report's interview with First Deputy Speaker of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis, chairman of the Committee on Defense, Security and Fight against Corruption, Ziyafat Asgarov.

- Changes related to softening criminal law have recently been stressed more frequently...

- Yes. Good that you mentioned it. It has been a while that our country conducts legal reforms. Their main essence is strengthening protection of human rights and liberties. As you know, on February 10, 2017, Mr.President signed a very important decree on improvement of the penitentiary system and humanization of the penitentiary policy. In line with the tasks set by the decree, significant changes were made to a number of legislative acts, including the Criminal Code and Сriminal-Procedural Code. A number of crime components were decriminalized or classified as administrative law offenses. In other word, based on these components, criminal responsibility was replaced with administrative responsibility or trivial sanctions. I would like to repeat that the main task here was to make the Criminal Code maximally close to the humanistic punitive policy of the state.

- Milli Majlis approved decriminalization of some crimes, while declining others. As an example, we can list the first paragraphs of some articles related to drugs and other issues.

- This is quite a huge social problem. For example, some people use the narcotic substances and get addicted to them. Then they have to spend huge amounts on their treatment. Won't it be good to do so that people would never be caught in such a situation, commit a crime in such a situation or violate the rights and liberties of others? Drug addicts create problems for the society. Naturally, the society cannot stay indifferent to it. Public community must hold a fierce struggle against it.

- What can you, as a representative of the legislative body, say about the increase or reduction in the number of cases of drug addiction in Azerbaijan in terms of statistics?

- I do not know the exact statistics related to drug addiction. What I know is that this is a global problem. We, as the Azerbaijani state, are trying every possible civil way to prevent that evil. I mean also that we must protect our young generation and our gene pool from all possible threats.

- In some cases accidents occur out of negligence, against one's will. For example, a car hits a pedestrian during a crash...

- This case is envisaged in our Criminal Code. Certainly, if the accident occurs out of negligence, or by the pedestrian's fault, the court takes such cases into account. But if the crime is committed under the influence of drugs, it aggravates the responsibility.

- If I am not mistaken, serious changes were made in army-related laws last year. Azerbaijani state army is modernizing and equipping with new weapons. Do you think Armenians will finally agree to withdraw from the occupied lands through peace talks or Azerbaijan will have to take a decisive step without waiting for this?

- We always announced that we stand for the peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh...

- But Armenians seem not to be understanding...

- Yet, they do. Therefore, we need to strengthen our defense capabilities. Azerbaijan must always be strong. We have no right for weakness. Armenia stabbed us and its other neighbors, even Russia, in the back. We are capable of liberating our lands from Armenian barbarism and occupation. But we still give preference to peace talks. If we see that Armenians are engaged in imitation, the military solution of the conflict will be inevitable.

- Nikol Pashinyan often visits Karabakh and makes statements regarding Azerbaijan and even our domestic affairs. What do you think is behind it?

- These statements were mainly designed for parliamentary elections in Armenia.

- Do you mean that Pashinyan used Karabakh as a trump card?

- Sure, since they usually use this card. Kocharyan and Sargsyan also made use of it. Do you know what the 'state' policy of Armenia is built upon? "They ask a dog, 'why are you barking?' And the dog replies, 'Because I am scared.' 'And why are you wagging your tail?' 'Because I am scared.'

- There have recently been talks about Azerbaijan's membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) which also has Armenia as its member. The statements in this regard were made even on the official level in Milli Majlis. To what extent is it important for Azerbaijan to join this structure in terms of security?

- In the issue of cooperation with this or other organization, we primarily take into account our national interests, sovereignty and security. We maintain good relations with the CSTO member-states. With Russia, we have strategic partnership. The same with Kazakhstan. Mr.President has recently paid a high-level official visit to Belarus and signed a number of agreements there. That is we already enjoy positive relations with the members of that organization in economic, military or humanitarian spheres.

- Various Russian experts and parliamentarians recently voiced bellicose statements towards Azerbaijan. What can be behind those statements?

- As you know, in the Russian State Duma there is a parliamentarian, Konstantin Zatulin by name, fed by Armenians. He was even elected from the area where many Armenians live. This person has long been sponsored by the Armenian diaspora, Armenian leadership. He and his pals gathered and created the Lazarev association, which meets once a year making nonsensical statements. Naturally, such statements cannot cast a shadow on relations of good neighborliness and friendship between Azerbaijan and Russia.

- Flash points in the CIS space are 'enlivening'. The relations between Ukraine and Russia are straining, there are tensions in Georgia, some escalation is observed in Moldova's Transnistria. Do you think any escalation may emerge in Karabakh too? In general, the future of the world seems vague. What do you think about it?

- Unfortunately, the entire world is in dust now. The policy currently pursued in Azerbaijan is aimed to prevent these purturbations from entering our country so that our people could live in tranquility and comfort. The relations between world's major powers are quite strained. The matter has come to the point when in some cases a head of one state resorts to insulting statements addressed to the head of another state. Basic diplomatic norms and courtesy rules are not observed, whereas even in the most acute period of the cold war between the USSR and the United States, the rules of politeness were fully observed. In such a complicated world it is not that easy to maintain stability and ensure the successful development of our economy in Azerbaijan. But we manage to attain it thanks to the smart and restrained policy of our President.

- The committee you lead has recommended the parliament a number of alterations to the laws on combat against corruption and they were approved. The state conducts purposeful measures to fight corruption and informs about reforms. We can also recall the developments around the former National Security Ministry and Ministry of Communication. In general, how much are the laws in combat against corruption observed and which sphere feels the biggest need for consistent measures to fight corruption?

- Certainly, the fight against corruption in Azerbaijan has been carried in a form of a strategy already since the early 1970s. If you remember, the sensational film 'Investigation' was produced in the former USSR shortly after the nationwide leader came to power. It was the first sign of fight against corruption on the Union scale. In one of his speeches, the national leader said that he received a call from the head of another allied republics saying 'how dare you produce such a film'. Yes, the USSR also faced such a problem, but they did not dare to highlight it. Only owing to the strong will of national leader Heydar Aliyev that problem was revealed to show that, yes, this social evil does exist and it needs to be fought. Beginning from 1993 our national leader continued this struggle with all his energy and will. This struggle continues now too. Corruption is also a global problem. It is probably impossible to eradicate it completely. But the fight against corruption continues today in all earnestness both through administrative ways and on the legislative level. Certainly, I would especially like to note the institutional reforms in this respect. Establishment of Asan service is one of the important steps towards ensuring transparency. By the way, I want to note that Asan experience is studied and applied in a number of countries.