ARMENIA WILL NOT WITHSTAND AZERBAIJAN’S ONSLAUGHT – PRESIDENT
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted Sept 5 2005
Baku, September 2, AssA-Irada President Ilham Aliyev has said
that Armenia will not be able to withstand Azerbaijan’s onslaught.
“Azerbaijan is very powerful and Armenia will not be able to withstand
its onslaught. But we do not want war, as it would kill scores of
people. I believe that sooner or later we will return our land. No
one should doubt this”, Aliyev told Turkey’s influential Hurriyet
newspaper. “Every Azerbaijani deeply believes that a day will come
when the occupied territories will be freed and Azerbaijan’s banner
will wave over Garabagh again.” Aliyev also commented on the results
of his Saturday meeting with the Armenian President Robert Kocharian
in the Russian Volga river city of Kazan. “There are no results
yet. Armenians are waiting for us to grant them independence. But
this is impossible. Preserving Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is
of primary importance for us.” The President noted that he told his
Armenian counterpart that Azerbaijan is ready to ensure security of
Armenian residents of Garabagh. “I underlined that Baku will not allow
the Armenian community to be endangered.” Aliyev emphasized, however,
that ‘they [Armenian armed forces] are not willing to free our land’.
The President said that during a recent phone conversation with the US
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice said Washington wants the sides to
reach a conflict settlement. “I do not understand why Armenia, which
is an aggressor country, is not punished, although it is clear that the
Armenian lobby is strong. The current situation is utterly unfair.”
Aliyev said that after the talks, he sensed a softening in Kocharian’s
position, although this did not suffice for the conflict resolution.
“We have taken all the possible steps. However, Armenia is disregarding
the view of the international community. Over a million Azeri citizens
have been left without homes.” The President noted that the West
supports a speedy settlement of the conflict and Azerbaijan will do
its utmost to achieve this.*