ALIYEV SAYS GARABAGH TALKS FRUITLESS
AssA-Irada
November 17, 2009 Tuesday
Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan is seeking to settle its
conflict with Armenia in peace but these efforts have not yielded fruit
so far. We are trying to resolve the Upper Garabagh problem peacefully,
because we dont want war. But it is not working, President Aliyev told
the ceremony of commissioning a residential building constructed for
369 refugee families in the Binagadi district of Baku on Tuesday.
Aliyev noted that, though talks are underway with Yerevan, no drastic
solution has been found yet to the long-standing dispute. Talks
have been held so many times. Seven or eight times a year. There is
certain progress. But we have not been able to achieve a drastic
solution of the problem, because the Armenian side is displaying
a stance completely contradicting all international norms. The
president emphasized that Azerbaijan has been suffering from Armenias
policy of ethnic cleansing for many years. Further, Aliyev blamed the
international community for indifference to the unjust situation. This
is an unbearable situation, the biggest injustice and a crude violation
of human rights. But the world community remains indifferent to
this. True, international organizations have adopted the needed
decisions and resolutions. But they are not being enforced. In this
case, those resolutions lose their significance. Unfortunately, the
norms of international law are being violated, blatantly violated, in
the world. Azerbaijani land remaining under Armenian occupation for
many years is a consequence of this. Speaking about army-building,
the commander-in-chief said the Azerbaijani government was greatly
supporting the military, and it is strengthening. We are holding talks,
but, at the same time, we have to be ready to free our land from
invaders militarily any moment, Aliyev said. Azerbaijan and Armenia
fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in
1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other
Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.
The OSCE-brokered peace talks have been fruitless so far.