AZERBAIJANI LEADER GUARANTEES NO ETHNIC CLEANSING AFTER NAGORNO GARABAGH’S REINTEGRATION

Azerbaijan Business Center
April 15 2010

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev considers that a decisive stage
has started in the business of settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno Garabagh conflict.

At yesterday’s governmental session President Aliyev claimed that
at the current turning point all the countries, particularly Minsk
Group co-chair countries, should be very keen.

"But we see that today in critical moment Armenia is given such
political support that in the future it can refuse at all from
negotiations," the President said.

Simultaneously he indicated that Armenia should state its position.

"Armenia is dragging out negotiations artificially and in different
ways wants to lay the blame for failure of talks on Azerbaijan. They
believe that with time status quo will strengthen and in 10-20
years there will be created more favorable conditions for as if
legitimization of Nagorno Garabagh which is an illegal formation. We
have informed repeatedly ambassadors, heads and premiers of the Minsk
Group countries that we have doubts and they appeared for good reason.

We’ve already approached to a state when Armenia will not be able to
continue its guileful, disingenuous and deceitful policy. WE are now
at stage when Armenians should answer to the Minsk Group co-chairs’
proposal. The suggestion presented to both parties on the basis of
the renewed Madrid principles is the proposal of three countries,"
President Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan will never agree with any status of Nagorno Garabagh out
of the frames of its territorial integrity.

"Without our consent nobody will recognize illegal formation
Nagrono Garabagh as an independent unit. From the very beginning of
negotiations Azerbaijan’s position was the following: Nagorno Garabagh
can be given the highest status of autonomy existing in the world. We
continue keeping this position. Sometimes we hear very naive and
ludicrous statements from Armenia that if the Azerbaijan-desire issue
is solved and Azerbaijan’s proposal is accepted, then no Armenians
will stay in Nagorno Garabagh. They should not measure us by their
own bushel. The Azerbaijani state has never pursued and will never
follow policy of ethnic cleansing against anybody. If the Armenian
side accepts the proposals reflecting norms of international law, then
the Azerbaijani community will live in Nagorno Garabagh together with
Armenian community and residence of Azerbaijanis there, on the one
hand, will confirm fully historical justice and, on the other hand,
conforms fully to norms of international law," President Aliyev said.

For the first time the President refrained from direct statement
about a possibility hostilities in case of disruption of negotiations.

"We still hope that the Armenian party will give its positive answer
for the offered option. In this case we will conduct more actively
peaceful negotiations. We will conduct them until we have a hope for
their any favourable result. If we see that there is no hope, then
negotiations should be ceased and of course a new stage will begin in
his process. It is early to say what a stage it will be. In any case
we are ready for any scenario. We are conducting our own preparatory
work to take moves depending on the situation," President Aliyev said.