news.am, Armenia
March 20 2010
Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan will never recognize independent Nagorno-Karabakh
17:29 / 03/20/2010The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is currently at a
crucial stage of settlement, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated
at the celebrations of Novruz Bairam on March 20.
`We have reached the crucial stage in settling the conflict. The
negotiations can be said to have mainly been completed. Most of the
proposals, for a few exceptions, meet Azerbaijan’s interests. They
ensure territorial integrity and return of all the occupied
territories to Azerbaijan,’ Aliyev said.
According to him, Azerbaijan has not made a single step back from its
position at the negotiations. `We remain committed to our positions
stated several years ago. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be
restored, the occupation troops must be withdrawn from all the
occupied territories, for Azerbaijani citizens to return there. The
communication has to be resumed, and, with Armenians ` and, of course,
Azerbaijanis ‘ living there, Nagorno-Karabakh will be granted the
highest status of autonomy,’ Aliyev said.
According to him, the future will show what kind of status it will be.
`Any status of Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan is out of the
question. It will not happen ` neither tomorrow, nor in 100 years,
never. We cannot accept it, and it is our position of principle.
Nagorno-Karabakh will never be granted independence. Azerbaijan will
never recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence ‘ nor the rest of the
world will,’ the Azeri leader said.
Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan is stepping up its diplomatic efforts,
using its potential for consolidating its political economic and
military systems.
`We do not conceal this fact because Azerbaijan is in a state of war.
And it is no mere coincidence that defense expenses constitute a
greater part of our on-budget expenditures. After the
Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh, conflict has been settled,
such huge military expenses will, of course, not be needed any
longer,’ Ilham Aliyev said as quoted by 1news.az.
T.P.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress