Aliyev: It's time for Afghanistan to form new gov't and set foreign policy priorities

“We are not currently in the process of taking any steps. Azerbaijan is not located in the immediate vicinity of Afghanistan”

"We are not currently in the process of taking any steps. Azerbaijan is not located in the immediate vicinity of Afghanistan. I think that first of all, Afghanistan's neighbors should make this decision. We have never been closely linked to Afghanistan politically, economically, or in terms of transport," President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Italian La Repubblica newspaper on Oct. 7, Qazet.az informs.

"Our presence in Afghanistan is limited to participation in peacekeeping operations there. By the way, the Azerbaijani military was among the last to leave Kabul airport. Our servicemen left the airport the day before the explosion there. That is, we carried out our mission with dignity and maximum efficiency until the last day. It is time to form a new government in Afghanistan and set foreign policy priorities. We will undoubtedly respond adequately if we see signs of a positive trend, a positive approach, and potential cooperation. The main principle of Azerbaijan's foreign policy is independence. Our foreign policy is completely free from any foreign domination. The second is pragmatism. We form our position on this basis," the head of state said.