Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Chairman of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, I’d like to welcome you to Moscow on behalf of the Government. You represent a media organisation that accounts for at least two-thirds of the global information flow and is comprised of 44 organisations from 35 countries that are home to more than half of the global population.
I will not discuss the important role that your organisation plays in consolidating the media community. Reasonable levels of consolidation are good not only for governments, but media as well. Of course, you play an important role in strengthening cooperation between Asia-Pacific nations. Your organisation has been operating for over 50 years now, and it has always been a champion of the principles which, I believe, have become prevalent in today’s world, such as multi-polar cooperation and the advancement of differing and occasionally unconventional viewpoints. Unlike politicians, who often turn on and criticise each other, reporters from your information agencies have worked professionally all these years and supported each other, because that’s the only way to do good work, especially in countries undergoing dramatic changes. I have said on many occasions that media associations such as yours make a significant contribution to the modern world, to bringing nations and economies closer together, and to the resolution of numerous social and cultural problems.
Clearly, much depends on you. You know well that spreading false and unverified information, especially in times of crisis, bears a hefty political price and may involve loss of human life or lead to severe military and political repercussions. Thus, everyone is responsible for the information, including newsmakers, such as politicians, and the media.
We cherish our role, we consider it most important today, and the development of relations with your states, the states of the Asia-Pacific Region, is our absolute priority. We are interested in making our region stable, calm and prosperous. We are open to cooperation with all states and are actively working with various bilateral and multilateral integration forums. As you know, we are active participants of such major integration associations as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the ASEAN Regional Forum on security, and the Asia-Europe business dialogue (last year I took part in its summit in Laos). We are also taking part in other events.
Last year we hosted the APEC summit for the first time. It was held in Vladivostok and was a major event for our country. We are developing our Far East, but it has its own contradictions and problems and, of course, we had to take pains to create proper conditions for the summit and, as is often done in such cases, provide an impetus for the region’s progress.
We are advancing cooperation in the former Soviet space. Recently, we have established the Customs Union with the participation of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and some other countries are ready to join. This is very important for us. We believe that the great potential of our countries, their territorial proximity to the leading markets of the Asia-Pacific Region are opening up significant opportunities for cooperation and much more. Naturally, we’ll trade and develop investment cooperation. However, fairly often we have to work together to address various threats and the aftermath of natural disasters. At this point Russia and China continue to battle the worst flood in more than a century. It has affected our Far East and China’s northern provinces, and was caused by high water on the Amur, Sungari and some other rivers.
I’d like to make a special mention of all your colleagues who work in dangerous conditions, trying to deliver news as it happens about problems, natural disasters or dramatic events that, regrettably, occur too often on our planet. I think this is their greatest contribution to promoting international cooperation.
In conclusion I’d like to welcome all those present and recall that our oldest Russian news agency, ITAR-TASS, which now chairs your organisation, will soon mark its anniversary. I hope that all those present and maybe even more of your colleagues will take part in the celebrations of its 110th anniversary. I wish all of you interesting work and am very pleased to meet you. That seems about all.
I will be at your disposal for some time, so I will gladly hear any observations, take or discuss any questions. I would also like to extend special thanks to the President of your organisation Mr Kemal Ozturk for his extensive efforts over for the last three years. Thank you very much!
Kemal Ozturk (Anadolu Agency General Director and Chairman, OANA President in 2010-2013, as translated): Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister. The first thing I wanted to say is that I’m very happy to be in this beautiful city. Thank you for your cordial hospitality, and thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I would like to extend my thanks to you for the cordial welcome in Moscow, and I would also like to commend the Russian News Agency ITAR- TASS for its hospitality. I would like to express my gratitude to the management of ITAR-TASS for the hospitality they offered us.
Mr Prime Minister, these are quite challenging times for journalism. A number of countries, including Turkey, where I’m from, are facing turmoil and wars in their regions. As we all know, the situation in the Middle East is especially alarming, so reporters from Turkey and other countries are operating in a very challenging environment.
It is no secret that many of our colleagues working in conflict zones have been killed or wounded, which means that our fellow journalists have to face high risks in their professional endeavours. For example, in Egypt many journalists have been arrested in the aftermath of recent developments, and offices of news agencies and many media outlets have been shut down. In Syria, there have been casualties among journalists, including those working for Anadolu News Agency.
Our responsibility as a news agency is to report reliable information on such developments around the world. Having news agencies report on positive, peaceful events is our most cherished desire. It is for that reason that I would like to thank Russia as one of the greatest countries for its efforts in the United Nations and on other platforms to promote stability and peace in the Middle East, as well as in other regions.
Mr Prime Minister, I remember your visit to Turkey. I attended your news conference back then, and I’m very glad to meet with you again in Moscow. I would like to express my gratitude once again. Today is my last day as President of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies, and a new President will be elected tomorrow. I wish him every success, and I’m confident that the person who will become President tomorrow will be successful in leading the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. Thank you once again for your cordial reception.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you, Mr Ozturk. I remember my visit to your country. I had not one, but two news conferences, which doesn’t happen very often: one with the President and the other with the Prime Minister. This tells us a great deal about the high professionalism of media in your country. Colleagues, who would like to continue our discussion or to raise some other issues?
Zhou Xisheng (Vice President of the Xinhua News Agency): Mr Medvedev, Mr Mikhailov (Sergei Mikhailov, Director General of the ITAR-TASS News Agency of Russia) and journalists. First of all, on behalf of President of the Xinhua News Agency Li Congjun, allow me to offer sincere congratulations to you on the successful start of the work of the 15th General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. We are very grateful to Mr Medvedev who has been able to attend this event, despite his very busy schedule.
The main goal of our visit is to attend the 15th OANA General Assembly. The Russian side and especially the ITAR-TASS agency have worked very hard to organise this event, and I would like to thank you on behalf of the Xinhua News Agency and its President Li Congjun.
With the onset of the online era, the Internet era and new technology, global media outlets are undergoing tremendous changes, and they face very serious competition. In these conditions, it is highly important that we strengthen cooperation between different countries. We need to launch multi-faceted and multi-format cooperation and make cooperation between media outlets of different countries regular and institutional, so as to ensure a healthier and faster development of global media outlets.
In the past few years, Xinhua, a Chinese and global news agency, has been experiencing the processes of strategic transformation, as it converts from a traditional news agency to a modern integrated media outlet providing the services of a news agency, a publishing house, a website, a new media outlet and a television network. Moreover, we provide financial information and a multimedia database. Therefore we have managed to preserve sufficiently good development trends in conditions of tough international competition.
The Xinhua News Agency focuses on news coverage from Russia. We cover Russian developments in Chinese, English, Russian and other languages and from various angles. Our Moscow office employs over 30 journalists. We have also invited Russian experts and professionals to work for our agency. We are doing our best to strengthen friendship between the people of our states. As an OANA member, we put a lot of effort into strengthening cooperation with other members, especially the ITAR-TASS News Agency.
To date, our relations, relations between Russia and China, are experiencing the best period in their development. Media outlets serve as a bridge for cooperation between the people of both countries. We have noticed that recently at almost every major news conference Russian President Vladimir Putin makes sure that time is allowed for Chinese journalists to put their questions to him. At these moments, the entire one-billion-strong Chinese nation feels tremendous inspiration and enthusiasm. Mr Dmitry Medvedev is an outstanding politician who is well-known in China. In our news reports, we often mention you, and we hope that you will provide even more opportunities for interviews and for responding to questions from our agency. Thank you for your attention.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you. I hear you, Mr Zhou Xisheng, and of course, I will keep this in mind, all the more so as I will soon have the opportunity to visit the People’s Republic of China. We will hold a major round of inter-governmental consultations where I will meet with my colleagues, the leaders of China, and I will visit several places. Actually, this is the best demonstration of the strategic nature of relations between our two countries. It goes without saying that we will discuss the most diverse issues, including economic and cultural issues, during this visit and we will be answering questions from media correspondents, including those of the Xinhua News Agency. Thank you very much for your words.
M. Shakeel Ahmed (General Manager, Press Trust of India): May I ask you a question about our bilateral relations? India and Russia have cooperated closely in many areas, including, in particular, defence. The Indian Prime Minister is likely to come to Russia for a bilateral summit in December. Russia is eager to offer India business opportunities. A case in point is the construction of new nuclear power projects like the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Should India expect further and more intense cooperation in the atoms-for-peace area?
Dmitry Medvedev: We indeed cooperate closely in very different areas; it is not a secret for anyone. You mentioned the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. I believe the project is doing well, and some new agreements have been signed during my recent visits. I hope that this cooperation will be strengthened. We have special partner relations with India and, apart from energy issues, our relations extend to a number of other sectors, including highly sensitive ones. In fact, we have maintained a very considerable volume of military-technical cooperation ever since the Soviet period. This has taken shape historically. We have sought to continue this trend and the opportunities we have received because we are keen to promote our cooperation with India in all areas in every possible way. The Russian Government sees this as a strategic course, and it is for this reason that we hold regular meetings at heads of government level and meetings with presidential involvement. As is only natural, we will continue to do this in the future. This is it.
Dauren Diyarov (General Director, Kazinform News Agency): Mr Medvedev, a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which mostly includes Asian member states, ended in Bishkek not so long ago. Last year, Russia successfully hosted APEC Leaders’ Meeting. This undoubtedly is evidence of the fact that you pay close attention to this region. This is how it appears.
Simultaneously we hear about problems besetting Russia in the Far Eastern and Siberian areas. I am not only referring to natural disasters but also limited human resources, underdeveloped infrastructure, and environmental hurdles. What is Russia planning to do to settle this imbalance? Are there any strategic plans to address these problems? Thank you.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you. You know, we – let us be forthright about it – will be unable to develop the Russian Far East if we adopt a restrictive approach and rely solely on our own capabilities. The Russian Far East is huge territorially. Let me remind you that geographically, the Russian Far East accounts for approximately one-third of the total land area of the Russian Federation but it is populated by a mere six million people out of Russia’s 140-some million inhabitants. This is why we will certainly be offering various incentives to ensure the necessary migration of skilled specialists and creation of new industries there.
We have a Development Strategy for the Russian Far East and the Baikal Region, which is to be implemented before 2025, and a Development Strategy for Siberia until 2020. To some extent, all these strategies also take into account opportunities for our partners, friends and neighbours because it is not right for us to develop this rich and tricky territory alone. We have joint plans in this regard with Kazakhstan, among others, and we maintain close cooperation with the People’s Republic of China and a number of other countries such as Korea, Japan, and others. We proceed from the assumption that it is our territory and we will – and have a duty to – develop it just because we must ensure decent living standards there. But considering this region’s rich mineral resources and other opportunities, we will make sure to attract businesses from other countries as well on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation. I hope that new points of growth will also come into being there, as will new facilities that our partners will create. It is only in this way that a successful, sustained growth of all our territories can be achieved. Russia has immense competitive advantages in this regard, but, in a sense, its advantages are an extension of its problems because not so many people live in this part of the country. But if we work as I have described, good things will come. Please.
Ahmad Dawa (Director General of the Syrian Arab News Agency): Good evening, my name is Ahmad Dawa, Syrian Arab News.
Of course, you are well aware how complicated the situation is in Syria now, and this urges me to go slightly beyond the scope of this meeting and ask you, if I may, two questions.
Mr Prime Minister, it’s been almost a week since the signing of a treaty on chemical weapons in Syria between Russia and the US in Geneva. However, despite the agreements, weapons and money for the terrorists continue to be delivered over the Syrian border. So my question is how do you see the role of some states in the region, including Turkey, that continue to support armed terrorist groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda and others. Do you believe it is an attempt to undermine Russia’s initiatives and efforts to find a peaceful resolution of the Syrian problem? The second question concerns the stance of the United States regarding the Geneva agreement. Do you think the US has definitively abandoned plans to take military action in Syria? Do you think they are ready to work towards a political reconciliation? Thank you.
Dmitry Medvedev: I hope that you got the English translation, or a translation into any other language if needed. Thank you for your question.
I'll try to delve a bit deeper into the situation in your country. It is, of course, very dramatic and it started deteriorating during my tenure as president. I remember someone asking me at a press conference whether Russia was ready, alongside other countries, to take a decision on Syria similar to the decisions that had been taken in response to events in Libya. I said that we will never do so for several reasons, primarily because events in Libya took a dramatic turn when under the guise of the decisions taken by the Security Council – at one point, we supported these absolutely humanitarian decisions in order to save lives – a foreign intervention in a complex conflict was staged.
Russia has never been in favour of military solutions to problems that can be resolved using other means in sovereign states. In other words, we consider any foreign intervention, except as otherwise expressly provided by the UN Charter, including the right to self-defence, unacceptable and essentially criminal. I was guided by these considerations when I said that I find such developments in Syria unacceptable. Unfortunately, the events took on a dramatic turn, which, I believe, is another confirmation that military solutions to civil problems in your country would be unacceptable. The Syrians themselves must deal with them as part of an inter-religious dialogue based on established procedures that should take place in the country and internationally. If all this is taking place under the guise of UN resolutions and is accompanied by massive arms supplies, then we cannot support this. That is why neither President Vladimir Putin, nor I have ever supported such decisions.
The situation is complex, and it has been aggravated further following the events surrounding the use of chemical weapons. Our position has been presented by President Putin. These events should be thoroughly investigated. Certainly, the use of chemical weapons, regardless of who used them, is a crime against humanity and should be treated as an international crime. But the investigation should take place in accordance with international rules.
I believe that the Russian-American talks and the Russian initiative came at the right moment and allowed us to prevent an escalation of violence and abandon the military scenario in favour of a peace process. We hope that all promises will be delivered upon, including chemical disarmament and the decision to sign the convention taken by the Syrian side. This is the best way to go. I’m pleased that the Russian initiative was well received by our international partners, including the United States of America. Let's see how it’ll play out. Importantly, we should ensure the implementation of the Geneva agreements and the agreements reached at other forums.
You’ve mentioned the role of countries in the region. Representatives of regional countries, both Arab and non-Arab, are present here. I think it’s important for every state to understand its responsibility for what is happening in neighbouring countries. We may or may not like foreign rulers. We may have personal takes on different processes unfolding in neighbouring countries. That’s perfectly normal, especially if those countries are populated by people of the same faith or people that we care about.
However, the Russian leadership believes that this should not be used as a pretext to intervene in the internal affairs of other countries. We believe that the UN Charter and the international legal expertise gained from the late 19th to the present period clearly show that such conflicts should be resolved based exclusively on international law. All other solutions will lead us nowhere. We are aware that several conflicts that took place in your region didn’t bring any prosperity to the nations in question. Terrorist groups similar to Al Qaeda are spreading across the region. Has the world become safer as a result? No, it hasn’t. We believe that talks and chemical disarmament can be used to resolve many other problems, and this is the only way to go. All countries, including major countries in the region, should contribute to this process rather than block it. This is Russia’s stance.
Duc Loi Nguyen (General Director of the Vietnam News Agency): I represent Vietnam News Agency. I have a question for you. It is globally believed that the future belongs to the Asia-Pacific Region. How does Russia see its role in the development of the Asia-Pacific Region and all the processes going on there?
Dmitry Medvedev: I have already tried to answer this question. I’ll try again. We believe that we are an integral part of the Asia-Pacific Region. We have the same right to see ourselves as one as other countries in the region, and that is why we are facing a whole range of challenges that I mentioned when I was analysing the situation in the Far East. We also have a whole range of advantages. In particular, aside from the well-known sources of commodities and mineral resources, Russia is a country with a huge transit potential. This potential must be used to build roads and improve air and railway transportation. None of the Asia-Pacific countries can ignore the fact that a significant number of routes and communications pass through this country.
Moreover, we have an excellent experience in communicating with most of the Asia-Pacific countries, including Vietnam. We have seen great progress in many areas of our relations with Vietnam. I regularly visit your country. We have many joint projects, both in energy and other areas, including construction of a nuclear power plant. We have an extensive collaboration experience that we have gained over the Soviet period. I can’t but remember the meeting with the Vietnamese alumni of Soviet universities. I was greatly impressed what a huge number of people studied at our universities and continue to study here, and what a friendly and warm attitude they have toward our country. Therefore, I hope that this background will further serve as a foundation of our relationships. So I think Russia’s role in the development of the Asia-Pacific Region is very natural. We are a large country with many opportunities. We want to use these opportunities for the benefit of the region, including by developing our relationship with Vietnam.
Tom Kent (Deputy Managing Editor, Associated Press): Tom Kent, Associated Press. Mr Prime Minister. I would like to come back for a moment to the question of Syria. If all goes well, the Syrian authorities will soon transmit to the United Nations the list of their chemical weapons and locations of their sites. Are you confident that this list will be correct and complete and do the world’s intelligence agencies, including Russia’s intelligence, have the information to verify this list?
Dmitry Medvedev: Yes, Mr Kent, I understand that if the chemical weapons issue in Syria is resolved according to a scenario proposed by Russia, it will be necessary to ensure the list is complete, credible and verified. That is natural. I think there is no other way. If all the participants of the relevant agreement, first of all, the Syrian government and President al-Assad, want to achieve a peaceful resolution of the current problem, they will have to do whatever it takes to convince the international community that the list is complete and it is possible to ensure efficient control. I don’t see how else we can proceed. That is absolutely normal. In our turn, we are willing to help with this.
What is so great about modern communications? We are sitting here now and I can look up things online. Just now, Mr Putin said something very true about Syria. The responsibility for the current developments and resolution in Syria has not been passed on to Russia. I often hear these days that if it was our idea we must take all the responsibility and if the Russians fail that will be their own fault. That is not true. It is our shared responsibility, the responsibility for preventing bloodshed and murder of civilians, for stopping the terrorists from operating in Syria and for compelling the Syrian government to observe the international law and take into account the opinion of the international community. We are all responsible for that, including Syria’s chemical weapons issue, and not only Russia. This is what I wanted to say.
Kubanychbek Taabaldiev (Director of the Kabar News Agency): Mr Medvedev, my name is Kubanychbek Taabaldiev. I am from the Kabar news agency, Kyrgyzstan. You know that very many countries, not all of them from the CIS, are being drawn into the Customs Union’s sphere of influence. The number one country in this respect is Kyrgyzstan, but there is a question of the sides’ readiness for cooperation. Do you think the Customs Union countries are ready to admit countries such as Kyrgyzstan, and do you think Kyrgyzstan is ready to meet the requirements of the Customs Union?
My second question concerns the possibility of Ukraine joining the Customs Union. Is this possible at all, and if not, why? Thank you.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you very much. Indeed, it is a common project for us. I will answer your questions now. First, are we ready to admit new members to the Customs Union, in particular Kyrgyzstan? Of course, we are. Kyrgyzstan is a close partner, as I have said more than once and as President Putin has said. We are ready to admit new members to the Customs Union and to the Common Economic Space, which is planned to develop into the Eurasian Economic Union, but only on the same conditions as we set for ourselves. If you want to join, we will be happy to admit you, and we will work together with you. Your president and our other partners from Kyrgyzstan hold a corresponding position.
Are you ready for this? I think so, if you are asking this question. There is a long road ahead, and we will have to follow the roadmap which we developed to help those who want to join prepare for membership. The idea is to adjust a number of positions, including the requirements you assumed upon joining the World Trade Organisation, to be in-line with the requirements of our Customs Union. In particular, you need to draft and ratify a number of agreements (there are dozens of them), accept a share of responsibility and lastly, cede part of your authority to the supranational agency, just like Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have done.
This is logical, because the Customs Union is an integrated agency. The requirements are similar in the European Union. Many countries say they cannot influence decisions because the decisions are made in Brussels. This is probably an exaggeration, but in cases of integrated organisations, some authority is always ceded to a supranational agency. Russia has done this, and Russia is not a small country, so it was a difficult decision. You must do the same. If you meet all of the requirements, Kyrgyzstan will become a full member of the Customs Union, and we will welcome you because we are neighbours, friends and partners.
You mentioned several other countries. The requirements are the same for everyone.
If they are prepared to follow all our procedures, if they are ready to adopt relevant laws, ratify the required agreements in parliament and assume all obligations, they can become a Customs Union member, and we will be only pleased. But when my Ukrainian friends say they are prepared to ratify one agreement… I recently heard Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov say: “We are ready to ratify this agreement.” But this causes nothing but surprise. Aut Caesar, out nihil – there is such a Latin saying: it means all or nothing.
I can say the same about compatibility between associated membership of the European Union and membership of the Customs Union. We are not prejudiced against the European Union. It is our major trading partner, our trade with it stands at 400 billion euros, which accounts for 50% of our trade. We also have other big partners (China and a number of other countries), but a country becoming an associated member of the European Union assumes a number of serious obligations and the observance of these obligations (I made a special study of the relevant treaty) will make it impossible to fulfil obligations within the Customs Union.
All talk about being both here and there is a complete duplicity. I am sorry, but all they seem to want is to throw dust in the eyes of their own people, saying we are a bit here and a bit there, and can draw dividends from everywhere. Such things never happen. If the choice is made (and our partners seem to have made it, with the government adopting the relevant decision), then we wish our Ukrainian friends the closest possible integration with the European Union. Let them get all the financial advantages for their national budget from that membership. We doubt that this will bring big dividends. But if they have made such a choice, it is their decision and it is up to the Ukrainian people to judge their actions. Thank you.
Masaki Fukuyama (President of Kyodo News): Mr Prime Minister has spoken of the need to attract foreign partners to developing Siberia and the Far East, in particular with regard to the mineral resources Russia is so rich in, such as natural gas. One project Japan is interested in is already in progress – Sakhalin 2. We would like to know what the plans are for Sakhalin 2. How will it be developed further? More to the point, I think it is essential to resolve the territorial issue to spur Russian-Japanese relations forward. What do you think?
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you Mr Fukuyama. Sakhalin 2 will undoubtedly grow. We will work on it jointly with our partners, including Japanese companies. I think it’s a good project and I actually took part in its opening. This is the first LNG project in Russia and a promising one, too. We are happy you have joined this project and we are certainly ready to look at other projects in this industry.
However, we have noted on multiple occasions that Russian-Japanese trade and investment cooperation level leaves much to be desired. We believe we could cooperate more closely and intensively, but this cooperation absolutely should not be politicised.
I do not think this hackneyed model – let’s first deal with our political issues and then talk economics – will work in our relations with Japan and will do more harm than good. We have vast potential for cooperation, but when we hear things like, “you’re not wanted here, at least not until we sign a peace treaty and resolve territorial issues,” allow me to be honest – I think you are making a mistake. If our economic cooperation were more active, other processes might intensify as well.
About the prospects of signing a peace treaty and resolving the territorial issue, Russia and Japan are currently in talks, conducted, as before, by our foreign ministries. The President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Japan had a meeting recently where they confirmed the need to work out a balanced solution to the problem. This I think is the road we should take. At the same time, let me repeat that the less we politicise our economic cooperation, and the more we develop cultural contacts, the faster we will reach a political agreement. I hope that you understand what I am trying to say and am almost sure you see it the same way: this problem has no easy solution. Therefore, we should develop our cooperation in all areas.
Ilgar Huseynov (General Director of Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan): Mr Medvedev, I have two questions, if that is alright. How do you see the future of Russian-Azerbaijani relations? The other question is more personal than business related. We know that you like photography and have recently published a book of your photos. I am interested to know if you are able to find time for your hobby, and which country were your most interesting photos taken, in your view? Could it have been Baku, or some other place? We have talked about this before, and decided we would be interested to see an exhibition of your photos in Russia or maybe in other countries.
Dmitry Medvedev: Thank you. You are very kind to me. I think Russian-Azerbaijani relations are really good – we are partners and are developing cooperation in all areas. This was the case in the past; it has not changed and I don’t think it will change. We have seen this in all areas of our cooperation. We have priorities of course – such as the energy sector – because Azerbaijan is also a major energy player and we need to work out coordinated positions on many issues. We may also compete in some areas, but this is quite normal, I think. International competition is certainly normal, but given our special friendly relations, our historical ties, I think we will be able to find common ground on the entire range of economic issues.
At least the Russian Government is prepared to make every effort toward this, and I hope that our Azerbaijani partners, and the Azerbaijani Government, will do the same.
You have mentioned my hobby – well, I certainly do find time for it, and I have indeed taken some good pictures in Baku. Some of them are probably in the book you were so kind to mention. Incidentally, I took them during a walk with President Ilham Aliyev to look at the old Baku sights. I kept snapping my camera, photographing everyone around me, including the President. So I acted as his personal photographer during that tour. It was nice to hear that you are interested. So if you like… well I don’t think it would be right for a prime minister to hold exhibitions, but I will give each of you a copy of my book, so you can know what work is like as president or a prime minister.
Why is my book called Through the Window? Because, unlike in Baku, where I actually went for a walk and could take pictures normally, I most often take them through the window of a car, a plane, a helicopter or a train. They are not the best images, of course, and they have to be taken with the shortest possible exposure, to convert the usual blur into a quality image. Take a look and don’t be too hard on me. Thank you.