PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV: ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP SHOULD CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT AZERBAIJAN WILL NEVER CEDE ITS TERRITORY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 18 2007

"Like other organizations, the European Union recognizes the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and I expressed this view in
my visit to Brussels last year. Jose Manuel Barroso, President of
the European Commission said EU recognizes and supports Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and sovereignty," Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev told in the interview to journal "La Lettre Diplomatique",
APA reports.

The President said the EU position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
has found its description in the European New Neighborhood Policy
action plan. "It says that territorial integrity, sovereignty and
independence of Azerbaijan will contribute to the maintenance of
peace and stability in Europe. Unfortunately, Armenia ignores EU’s
and other organizations’ positions on this issue. Armenia violates all
norms and principles of the international law. Armenia ignored four UN
Security Council resolutions which demanded immediate and unconditional
withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied territories. Armenian has
occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories. Armenia pursued ethnic
cleansing policy in Karbakh and adjacent regions which led to more
than one million Azerbaijanis becoming refugees and IDPs. Armenians
held internationally unrecognized, illegal referendums in Nagorno
Karbakh. Such policy is the violation of international law norms. EU,
Council of Europe, OSCE Minsk Group co chairs and Turkey condemned
the recent referendum in Karabakh".

Azerbaijani President stressed that Nagorno Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s
historical territory. "The UN and international community recognized
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. That is why the conflict should
be settled within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, giving Nagorno
Karabakh high autonomy. National minorities live in many countries.

But this does not mean that you have right to separate the territory
of country. If Armenians began to demand self-determination in the
countries where they are national minority what will happen? How
many new Armenian states will emerge? Armenian leadership should
understand that Azerbaijan will never cede its territory. We hope
that Armenian side will take a constructive position and withdraw
from Azerbaijani territories or we will have to think over military
ways for the conflict solution. Today Azerbaijan is stronger than
Armenian in many spheres," the head of state concluded.