Baku, Sep 7 (IANS) Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has expressed his willingness to take part in resolving the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The president told an international conference on Friday that his country is ready to help build peace between the two countries as Azerbaijan shares historical and diplomatic ties with both nations, news agency Xinhua reported, citing local media AJRTAC.
He noted that Azerbaijan, together with Russia and Ukraine, was part of the Soviet Union for 70 years, which has resulted in the establishment of deep ties between peoples and at the political level.
“We regard our relations with Russia and Ukraine as very good. We strongly support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and all countries,” he said.
However, he denied his country’s participation in the anti-Russia sanctions campaign and maintained a pragmatic approach to his relations with both countries.
Aliyev said that although Azerbaijan has not sought to play a leading role in conflict mediation, it is ready to get involved if necessary.
“We never initiated it. I know many others want to join in. But if our participation is needed, we are ready,” he said.
–IANS
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