Baku ‘neutral ground’ for Russia-Ukraine peace talks, say giants of global politics

In a statement, the global non-profit, which counts among its esteemed board members former European presidents and prime ministers, warned that Russia’s operation carries serious global implications.

"Yet just as hopes were rising of reaching a post-pandemic state, our world was shocked again, on Feb. 24, when Russia’s military began new moves across Ukraine’s border. The implications are serious for all, particularly for those losing their lives on both sides and those fleeing across borders. Among other impacts will be the effects on the global economy’s capacity to recover from the pandemic. The terrible impacts are immediate and will have painful, wide-ranging effects for years to come," read the statement.

The NGIC called on both sides to cease hostilities immediately and engage in urgent dialogue.

"We, as members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre (NGIC), headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan, call for urgent dialogue between Russia and Ukraine with a view to ending the hostilities immediately. Time is of the essence. The situation becomes worse, and more people lose their lives with every moment that passes. Too many innocent lives are being lost and this situation cannot be allowed to continue," according to the same statement.

The international NGO also called on Kyiv and Moscow to accept Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev’s offer to host the planned peace talks in “neutral” Baku, which had served as a venue for peace talks between Russia and NATO in the past.

"We acknowledge and appreciate the call of the President of Azerbaijan to host both parties for peace discussions in Baku, Azerbaijan. Baku is a neutral venue for such discussions, having already been a platform for a meeting of top Russian and NATO generals for talks on preventing military incidents. We fervently hope the parties will accept this offer and that Baku can play an important role in solving this biggest security crisis, which Europe has faced since the end of World War Two," concluded the statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy its neighbor, but wanted to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.

In response, Western powers imposed financial sanctions on Moscow, and announced military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.

Signatories:

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia 1999-2007

Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand 1999-2008

Ismail Serageldin, Vice-President of the World Bank 1992-2000

Abdulaziz Altwaijri, former Director-General of ISESCO

Farida Allaghi, former Libyan Ambassador to EU

Sali Berisha, President of Albania 1992-1997, Prime Minister 2005-2013

Ana Birchall, deputy Prime Minister of Romania 2018-2019

Hikmet Cetin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey 1991-1994, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly 1997-1999, deputy Prime Minister 1995

Robert Cekuta, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan 2015-2018

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, 73rd President of the UN General Assembly, Minister of National Defense of Ecuador 2012-2014, Minister of Foreign Affairs 2017-2018

Susan Elliott, President, National Committee on American Foreign Policy

Chiril Gaburici, Prime Minister of Moldova 2015

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius 2015-2018

Mladen Ivanic, President of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014-2018

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secrertary-General OIC 2004-2014

Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia 2010-2015

Kerry Kennedy, President Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001-2002, deputy Prime Minister 2012-2015

Igor Luksic, Prime Minister of Montenegro 2010-2012

Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia 2013-2018

Moussa Mara, Prime Minister of Mali 2014-2015

Rexhep Meidani, President of Albania 1997-2002

Rovshan Muradov, Secretary-General Nizami Ganjavi International Center

Festus Mogae, President of Botswana 1998-2008

Stjepan Mesic, President of Croatia 2000-2010

Francis Martin O’Donnell, SMOM Ambassador (ret.); UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine 2004-2009

Djoomart Otorbayev, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan 2014-2015

Rosen Plevneliev, President of Bulgaria 2012-2017

Petre Roman, Prime Minister of Romania 1989-1991, Speaker of the Parliament 1996-1999, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1999-2000

Hedva Ser, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO

Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister of Latvia 2014-2016

Petar Stoyanov, President of Bulgaria 1997-2002

Boris Tadic, President of Serbia 2004-2012

Eka Tkeshelashvili, deputy Prime Minister of Georgia 2010-2012

Raimonds Vejonis, President of Latvia 2015-2019