COUNTRY’S LEADER CLAIMS OPTIMISM ON GARABAGH CONFLICT PROBLEM IN 2010

Azerbaijan Business Center
Dec 29 2009

The Azerbaijani President gave an interview to TV channel Vesti of
All-Russian State Television & Radio Broadcasting Company.

"We have certain optimism for the next year and it is linked with
the fact that theme of Garabagh conflict settlement has become one
of the central on international agenda. It became clear for many
those who maybe failed to understand fully that without settlement of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict no other regional problems can be
tackled as well. In particular, the conflict is the prime cause, and
without its removal it is impossible to create favourable climate in
the region, regional co-operation, strengthening of security measures
in the region. In order to settle this conflict Armenia simply needs
to meet the UN Security Council’s resolutions and withdraw its forces
from occupied territories around Nagorno Garabagh. And after that peace
and co-operation in the region can be established," Ilham Aliyev said.

Following the conflict Armenia has occupied 20% of Azerbaijani
territory and evicted 1 million people from places of their residence.

"We hope we will manage to accord key positions on the Garabagh
problem in 2010 but we flatly against turning of the negotiation
process into permanent.

Negotiations on the conflict have been conducted since 1992 when the
OSCE Minsk Group was set up. The ceasefire agreement was signed in
1994. 15 years have passed. There is a little progress, but no result.

That is why we cannot allow the process to turn into frozen, precisely
in final sense of this word. It should not repeat fate of other
conflicts that last for decades. We will never agree on that. That
is why I consider that if the Armenian party displays constructivism
and, the chief thing, common sense, then we will be able to advance
in 2010," the President said.