NAGORNO KARABAKH WILL NEVER BE INDEPENDENT, ILHAM ALIYEV

news.az
March 24 2010
Azerbaijan

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech during festivities
on Novruz holiday.

The resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno
Karabakh is the most important problem facing us. Definite steps
are taken in this direction and today Azerbaijan’s positions in the
negotiation process are much stronger. Certainly, our diplomatic
efforts have played their role in strengthening these positions.

Meanwhile, the processes of construction and development, ongoing
in Azerbaijan and consolidation of the country have strengthened
our positions in the negotiation process. Today we are the most
economically developed country of the region and our development
cannot be compared to the development of other countries.

All these factors consolidate our positions during negotiations
and we lay hope for the negotiation process, and we must
continue these efforts. Today we are on the decisive stage of
the conflict settlement. It is possible to say that the main part
of the negotiations has almost been completed. I can say that the
introduced proposals with some small exceptions ensure the interests of
Azerbaijan, its territorial integrity, return of all occupied regions
under Azerbaijan’s control. Thus, we consider that if the opposite
party demonstrates constructivism and agrees to the proposed variant,
we will further advance in the issue of the conflict settlement.

We have not stepped a bit back from our principal position in the
process of negotiations. We said this several years ago and we adhere
to the same position today. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
has never been a subject of discussion. The territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan must be restored. The occupational troops must be withdrawn
from all the occupied lands and the Azerbaijani citizens must return
there. All communications must open. Armenians and Azerbaijanis living
in Nagorno Karabakh who must return to Nagorno Karabakh must live
in conditions of high autonomy. The future that can happen either
tomorrow or in a hundred years or may never happen will show the
nature of this status.

This means that independence of Nagorno Karabakh beyond Azerbaijan
is absolutely unacceptable. This is our principal position. Nagorno
Karabakh will never be independent. Azerbaijan will never recognize
it. The world community will also not recognize the formation that
has not been recognized by us.

I think today there are good opportunities for the resolution of
the issue. Azerbaijan will intensify diplomatic efforts, it takes
a constructive position during negotiations and at the same time it
uses its potential to strengthen. This consolidation is observed in
the economic, political and military sphere. We do not conceal it. We
live in conditions of war. It is not by accident that a greater part
of our state expenses goes for defence. This is natural. There will be
no need for large defence costs after the Karabakh conflict is settled.

But today there is a strong need for that. We will raise our defence
costs every year, strengthen army, purchase new arms and do so that
the armed forces of Azerbaijan could fulfil the order of the Supreme
Commander within a short period of time and at any minute. This is
our sovereign right and we do not need advisers in this issue.

It has already been twenty years that we live in conditions
of independence. The first years of independence were hard and
complicated. We managed to attain the current realities merely through
our own efforts and by holding the policy of our great leader Heydar
Aliyev without any assistance and advises from outside. Thanks
to the progressive reforms both in political and economic sphere
Azerbaijan has already turned into a strong state. If we need advise,
we will appeal to whom we need. But there is no need for untimely
recommendations. Those who want to interfere with our internal
affairs should have understood long before that their efforts are in
vain and useless. There can be only one result here: the relations
between Azerbaijan and those who want to interfere with our internal
affairs may deteriorate. We are ready for any relations. We want to
build our relations with all countries on the basis of principles of
friendship, mutual respect and non-interference. We do not interfere
with anyone’s internal affairs, we do not criticize anyone, though
in some cases there are sufficient grounds for criticism. Certainly,
we expect the same attitude to us.

Therefore, I do not want the situation to worsen to the extend when
we were obliged to settle issues with someone in an extremely serious
and strained form.

On this remarkable day I would like to repeat that Azerbaijan follows
its own way. This is a way of democracy, development, progress,
freedom and sovereignty. We must follow this way together with our
friends. But we cannot follow this way with those who want to blacken
us or interfere with our affairs.

We rely on our own potential and we live well. And we will live even
better. Our current success is based on the will, determination and
talent of the Azerbaijani people. Today, on this great day, I would
like to say addressing to the Azerbaijani people that as a President of
the country I will continue the independent policy of Azerbaijan and
will never give up this way. We will further do everything possible
for the successful future of Azerbaijan.