Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (Parliament) Ogtay Asadov has addressed the 25th summit of heads of state and government of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Organization member states which is underway in Istanbul, Turkey.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not be able to take part in the 25th summit of BSEC due to the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games closing ceremony to be held in Baku on May 22, said the speaker, an APA correspondent reported from Istanbul.

“President Ilham Aliyev expresses regret for this and conveys his greetings and best wishes to the summit participants,” said Asadov.   

He pointed out that the BSEC was established 25 years ago in order to contribute to long-term, close cooperation.

“Unfortunately, over the past 25 years our region has become more dangerous and new conflicts have emerged. Moreover, the prospects for regional development are under serious threat,” said Asadov. “Human tragedies are growing, the scale of atrocities and brutality in the region has turned imaginations of many upside down. However, all this is not something new for the Azerbaijanis, especially for more than a million refugees and IDPs.”  

Asadov added that Armenia violated the regional security and stability by continuing the occupation of nearly 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories.

He stressed that the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia impedes regional cooperation.

“Unfortunately, one of the BSEC members doesn’t give up its dangerous ideology and continues to demonstrate intolerance and aggression. This ideology of Armenia is turning it into a mono-ethnic country and depriving it and the region of development opportunities,” he said.

Asadov accused Armenia of ignoring the rule of law and UN Security Council’s four resolutions that demand an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

“Therefore, I would like to assure everyone that the primitive thinking of the Armenian leadership that the use of force could promote good-neighborly relations a figment of a sick imagination,” said the parliament speaker, expressing confidence that Azerbaijan will undoubtedly restore its territorial integrity in accordance with the norms of international law.