PRESIDENT ALIYEV: "NO TRADE-OFFS IN NK ISSUE DURING MY PRESIDENCY"

Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006

President Ilham Aliyev participated in the opening of the parliament’s
autumn session.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday he was in favor of
an active policy in the settlement of the conflict around the mostly
Armenian populated Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno Karabakh.

The President emphasized a need to use all possibilities for a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, noting that "Azerbaijan will
continue cooperation with international organizations on that issue."

He told a parliament session that co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk group
for Nagorno Karabakh arrived on Monday in Baku and stressed that his
country "is not going to reject that format of the settlement."

"However, we believe that the activity of other international
organizations can also contribute to a peace process," Aliyev said.

At the same time he stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the
setting up of a second Armenian state on its territory."

"Azerbaijan will never sign a peace agreement that would not meet
the national interests of the country," he said. "As a President,
I will never sign it," he emphasized.

The president also said that under a 2007 draft budget, Azerbaijan’s
defense expenditures will grow 17.8 percent, and will reach 900
million dollars.

"The growth of military expenses must not worry anyone. This is our
sovereign right. Besides, a growth of the military budget cannot
automatically lead to a war. We must ensure our security and be ready
for any development of the events," the President said.

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