Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Sept 21 2004

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVED OSCE DELEGATION
[September 21, 2004, 18:06:24]

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received on
September 21 a delegation of the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe led by the OSCE Chairman’s Special Envoy To
Azerbaijan and Armenia Philip Dimitrov.

During the meeting focused on the most painful problem of the
Azerbaijani people, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Head of State noted this conflict poses a
serious threat to peace and stability in the whole region.
Azerbaijan’s position with regard to the conflict is unchangeable, he
said.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that resolution of the conflict
should be based only on such principles of the international law as
those of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. No
chance to find a solution otherwise, he said.

The Azerbaijani leader also pointed out that solution to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will provide peace and
stability in the region and accelerate its economic growth.

President expressed satisfaction with the fact that such
international organizations as the European Union, the Council of
Europe and others show increasing interest in peaceful settlement of
this problem.

Noting with regret that the OSCE Minsk group having a special mandate
to find peaceful resolution of the conflict has failed to gain a
positive result, President Ilham Aliyev, however, expressed hope that
the Minsk group would intensify its related efforts.

OSCE Chairman’s Special Envoy Philip Dimitrov thanked the Azerbaijan
President for the sincere conversation, and expressed his
satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan.

He underlined the particular role of the meetings between the
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the peaceful settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, and expressed confidence that the
parties would do their best to this end.