ALIYEV VOWS DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY EFFORTS TO GAIN TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY

AzTV Baku
June 26 2011
Azerbaijan

[translated from Azeri]

The president of Azerbaijan has vowed to continue diplomatic and
military efforts for the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity two days after the failed Kazan meeting with Armenia with
Russian mediation to resolve the long-drawn-out Karabakh conflict.

Addressing a military parade in central Baku on 26 June, President
Ilham Aliyev said that the military parade was devoted to the 20th
anniversary of independence of the country, state television AzTV
carried live the president’s speech and the military parade on Baku’s
central Freedom Square.

Speaking on the Karabakh problem, the president said: “We are in a
state of war. The war has not finished. The first phase of the war
is over and the country in the state of war should first of all pay
attention to the army building. And as of now, the military-related
spending tops Azerbaijan’s state budget. This will be the case until
our lands are liberated from the occupation. If a peace accord is
signed and the occupation is over, of course, there may be no need
there for such spending. However, at the same time, in any condition,
our army must demonstrate high combat readiness and we’ll use all the
opportunities to strengthen and upgrade the logistics of our army,”
the president said.

President Aliyev reiterated that the “occupation” of the lands cannot
go forever and it must be restored: “Our deeds are fair. We have not
occupied lands of other countries, we have no eye on other country’s
territories although the current Armenia has been established on
historical Azerbaijani lands. Nagornyy Karabakh is an eternal
Azerbaijani land; it has always been so and is so today; it is
simply and temporarily is under occupation now. And this occupation
cannot last long. I am fully confident that Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity will be restored by any means. To achieve this, we have to
be stronger…” President Aliyev added.

The president praised the army building process in the country and said
that the army possessed all the opportunities to carry out its duties.

“A lot of work has been carried out to strengthen the logistics of
the army. Today’s military parade will demonstrate a little part of
our military potential. We purchase up-to-date weapons, ammunition,
military hardware and this process will be continued. Over the recent
years, our military potential has considerably gone up. We procure
modern combat warplanes, combat and military transport helicopters,
artillery equipment, armoured hardware, communications devices,
unmanned aircraft systems and the military potential of our army is
growing. At the same time, the manufacturing of military products
continue successfully through the Defence Industry Ministry that was
set up years ago, and we have also gained great achievements in this
sphere. As of now, the provision of the Azerbaijani army is also
maintained at the expense of domestically made military products.

Wide-ranging weapons, ammunition, military hardware are manufactured
in Azerbaijan and these achievements will be demonstrated at today’s
parade…” the president told the parade.

The president’s address to the military parade lasted 23 minutes.