Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 14 2004
Azeri President Returns from Romania; Calls on Azeri People to Unite
on Karabakh Issue
14/10/2004 10:56
The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev returned home from his
official visit to Romania late on Tuesday. Aliyev told journalists at
the Heydar Aliyev Airport that he is satisfied with the results of
the visit.
“The documents signed will be a favorable legal base for future
cooperation between Azerbaijan and Romania,” he stressed.
President Aliyev and his Romanian counterpart Ion Iliyesku discussed
the issue on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno (Daghliq) Karabakh.
Aliyev regarded Iliyesku’s statement, “Romania backs the solution of
the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan”, as very
important.
President Aliyev recalled that several heads of states have issued
similar statements over the recent years.
“This once again shows that there should be no double standards. All
issues should be considered only under international legal norms and
certainly, Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should be restored. The
earlier Armenia understands this, the better.”
President Aliyev said that a mechanism should be set up for
implementation of the decisions passed by the UN and OSCE. Expressing
his disappointment with the fact that no sanctions have been imposed
on Armenia yet, Aliyev said: “The conflict can be settled soon if
international legal mechanisms are set up and applied.”
Commenting on a report on the Karabakh conflict by Terry Davis, the
former rapporteur on Karabakh of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE), President Aliyev said it was impartial and
contained realities. The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict will be
discussed at the PACE session in January, he noted.
Aliyev voiced his confidence that the report would confirm the
occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia and emphasize the need for
imposing sanctions on Armenia.
The President stated that Azerbaijan calls on the Council of Europe
to give a political assessment of the conflict.
“We will achieve our goals when each Azerbaijani citizen – the
President, parliament members and the press, unite to denounce
Armenia as an aggressor,” he added.