AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV: RESOLUTION OF ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT IS THE MAIN PROBLEM AND SORE POINT FOR OUR COUNTRY – UPDATE

Today.az
Aug 1, 2011
Azerbaijan

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has said his country become the
region`s ICT hub.

The President gave an interview to the Business Year magazine.

“Azerbaijan has become the region`s ICT hub an the possibilities of
the internet are expanding rapidly. According to the latest statistical
data, the national internet penetration rate is 50%. If, several years
ago, one computer was available for every 1,000 people in Azerbaijan,
today the proportion goes to 15 computers per 100 persons.”

“Azerbaijan is also becoming a country with a space industry.

Azerbaijan`s first telecommunications satellite will be launched in
2012. Taking into account the geographical location of Azerbaijan and
the development level of our national economy, we think that we have
all the opportunities for the ICT sector to become the second most
profitable field after the oil and gas sector in the near future,”
the President added.

Azerbaijani leader also spoke of Azerbaijan’s tourism potential.

“Our country has quite a large and attractive tourism potential. On the
one hand, Azerbaijan has nine climatic zones, beautiful and picturesque
nature, rich flora and fauna, cultural heritage, and historical
monuments. On the other hand, the large-scale measures undertaken
in recent years to ensure rapid social and economic development have
renovated all fields of public life and created an infrastructure of
services, transport, communications, and public utilities that make
for favorable conditions to make tourism become an economic priority,”
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev told the magazine.

“The State Program on the Development of Tourism for 2010-2014 is
being implemented in Azerbaijan. Our main objective is to bring the
national tourism sector in line with world standards by 2014. In the
light of all these tasks, 2011 was declared the “Year of Tourism”
in Azerbaijan.”

“Modern hotels are being opened in large cities of the country to
receive foreign guests. The system of tourism services is forming
rapidly in all the regions. Almost 100 hotels were operational in
2003. However, their numbers exceeded 500 in 2010. For the time being,
the construction of 35 new hotels is underway. By the end of 2011,
six five-star hotels will be commissioned. The world-class Shahdag
Winter-Summer Tourism Complex is of particular importance, being among
the largest projects in the field of tourism,” the President said.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is an ancient land of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis have
always lived there. All historical monuments and names of places
belong to Azerbaijan. It is an integral part of our history and
culture,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview
to the Business Year magazine devoted to the 20th anniversary of
Azerbaijan`s independence.

The Head of State underlined Armenians were relocated here from
other areas and today, they want to create another Armenian state. He
added neither Azerbaijan nor international community would allow it
to happen.

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out he had welcomed the 26 May, 2011
joint statement of the Heads of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries.

The President noted there is no contradiction between territorial
integrity and self-determination in the Helsinki Final Act, adding
peoples may use this right within the framework of territorial
integrity. The Azerbaijani leader said it is the only way of solving
the conflict.

According to the Head of State, peace and prosperity in the region can
be established in the region only after restoration of the country`s
territorial integrity and returning of IDPs to their homeland. He said
Azerbaijan would never agree with Nagorno-Karabakh`s independence or
its joining Armenia.

President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan`s military spending exceeds
the whole Armenia`s state budget.

“In a word, Armenia`s leaders and Armenian lobby must comprehend
the reality rightly and realize international community will never
recognize results of the occupation and that the conflict would solved
sooner or later,” he said.

Aliyev also spoke about the negotiations on the long-lasting Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement.

“Resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the
main problem and sore point for our country”, President Ilham Aliyev
said in his interview to the Business Year magazine dedicated to the
20th anniversary of Azerbaijan`s independence.

On the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Head of State
said twenty percent of Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized lands
had been under Armenia`s occupation, with over million Azerbaijanis
becoming refugees and IDPs.

“Azerbaijanis have been exposed to a policy of ethnic cleansing and
Armenians destroyed the historical and cultural monuments at the
occupied territories. In 1992, 613 people were cruelly killed and
hundreds taken hostage during Khojaly Genocide”, the President said.

“United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding
withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan and return of refugees to their homes. But, these
resolutions have not been yet implemented. Armenia does not also
fulfil the resolutions of the OSCE, the European Parliament, the
Council of Europe, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
and other international organizations”.

The Head of State said in spite of the fact that OSCE Minsk group
co-chairs have been engaged in resolution of this conflict since 1992,
their attempts have not yielded any results because of Armenia`s
destructive position”.

“The international community has to be an active to influence upon
Armenia to refuse from its destructive position and it is the only
thing to do”, President Ilham Aliyev added.

/AzerTAc/