Anadolu Agency
June 27 2004

Azerbaijani President Says His Country Won’t Give Up Its Territories
Just For Compromise

ISTANBUL – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday that
his country would not give up its territories just for a compromise
on Upper Karabakh, which was under Armenian occupation.

Aliyev delivered a speech at a panel discussion held as a part of the
conference ”NATO At a New Crossroads” jointly organized by Turkish
Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank
organization German Marshall Fund.

His country would never accept Armenia’s theses that Upper Karabakh
should be independent or be under its control, Aliyev said.

Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan would neither give up its
territories under Armenian occupation nor make any concessions of its
territorial integrity.

The matter should be discussed at the NATO summit to help other
countries understand the issue better, Aliyev said.

Aliyev added that Azerbaijan would be one of the first countries
extending support to international community’s policy towards Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in case there was a change in that
policy.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev came to Istanbul earlier on Saturday.

(BRC) 27.06.2004