NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS IN "FINAL PHASE" – PRESIDENT

Interfax
March 22 2010
Russia

*** Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said efforts to settle the
Nagorno- Karabakh conflict are in their "final phase" and reiterated
Azerbaijan’s position that a settlement must be conditional on his
country restoring its sovereignty over the disputed territory and
on Armenia pulling its troops from the enclave and Azeri territories
around it.

"We are currently in the final phase of the conflict. It can be said
that the main part of negotiations is over. I can say that, on the
whole, with minor exceptions, the proposals that have been put forward
are completely in line with the national interests of Azerbaijan,"
Aliyev said during celebrations marking Islamic New Year.

"We believe that if the other side [Armenia] shows constructivism
and accepts the option that has been proposed, we will be able to
make rapid progress to the resolution of the conflict," he said.

Azerbaijan’s position remains unchanged, the president said: "The
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored, all the occupied
territories must be returned, the occupation forces must be withdrawn
from those territories, Azeri citizens must be able to return to their
homes, and all communications must be opened." He expressed confidence
that Nagorno-Karabakh would be brought back under Azeri sovereignty.

The region would receive a high degree of autonomy, "but time will
show what this status is," he said.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan will keep building up its economic and military
power, Aliyev said.

"We are making no secret of this. We are living in an environment
of war and it is no accident that defense spending makes up the
main part of our state expenditure. That is natural. After the
Armenian-Azeri conflict has been settled there will be no need for
such high military expenditure, but today there is. Therefore, we
will continue to build up our military expenditure, strengthen our
armed forces, buy new armaments," he said.