Azerbaijan never allows independence for Karabakh – Aliyev
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman

ITAR-TASS News Agency
July 21, 2005 Thursday 2:03 PM Eastern Time

BAKU, July 21 — Azerbaijan will never allow independence for
Nagorno-Karabakh or being an integral part of Armenia, Azerbaijani
President Ilkham Aliyev said.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting devoted to the results of the social
and economic development of the country in the first six months of
the year, Aliyev said Azerbaijan “will never allow independence for
Nagorno-Karabakh or being an integral part of Armenia.”

“Our position remains unchanged: either today, tomorrow, in 10 years
or in 100 years the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separation from
Azerbaijan cannot be a subject for discussion,” the Azerbaijani
president said.

The occupation of Azerbaijani territories will not be eternal. “The
end is near and we’d like to solve the problem by peaceful means –
by talks,” he stressed. Aliyev named the principles, which are only
possible for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict – to liberate
Azerbaijan’s occupied territories and return refugees to their
places, i.e. to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent districts. “Then
Nagorno-Karabakh’s status may be determined. It may be given the
highest degree of autonomy part of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev noted.

He said it is necessary to use all political and diplomatic methods
in order to settle the conflict. It is important to strengthen
Azerbaijan’s economic and military potential. “I can note certain
progress in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement” in the last six months,
Aliyev pointed out.
From: Baghdasarian