Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15
Trend:
Today, Azerbaijan has an advantage both at the negotiating table and on the battlefield, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview to the head of the TV channel "Real" Mirshahin Aghayev, Trend reports referring to the press service of the head of state.
"In recent years, we have created a powerful legal framework for resolving the conflict. Many leading and influential international organizations of the world have adopted decisions and resolutions in connection with the conflict, which reflect the truth and support our position – the UN General Assembly, earlier the Security Council, the OSCE, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and others. The document on partnership priorities signed between the European Union and Azerbaijan expresses support for our territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders," he explained.
"This creates a legal basis for resolving the conflict. It lies in the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh – as we all know very well – is an integral part of Azerbaijan," the head of state said.
President underlined that conflict resolution is possible only within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
"At that time, having created a powerful economic potential, we established a strong army. The Azerbaijani army is one of the strongest armies in the world today. Our combat capability and possibilities are growing. We are equipping our army with the most sophisticated hardware. The April fights (2016) demonstrated our strength. By launching a counteroffensive operation from the most unfavorable military positions, we took over strategic heights. We freed our lands from invaders. The flag of Azerbaijan flies in Agdara, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts today. The April battles are a glorious and historic victory for us. While visiting Lalatapa and seeing the flag of Azerbaijan there, I feel a sense of pride. Every citizen of Azerbaijan feels proud. Our soldiers and officers have displayed true heroism. The April battles are a historic event. They have dispelled the myth that Armenia had been creating for years," Ilham Aliyev said.
"The Armenians tried to form an opinion that their army was allegedly strong and invincible. Azerbaijani soldiers and officers showed whose army is really strong and invincible. This myth has been dispelled. The April battles bolstered our national spirit, raised it to heights. Therefore, this event shows once again that the Azerbaijani people and state will never put up with this occupation," said the president.
Ilham Aliyev mentioned that two years after the April battles, a successful Nakhchivan operation was carried out.
"This was a special operation from a tactical point of view, but it was very successful and enabled us to take full control over strategic heights, mountains and the enemy’s strategic communications. So all these are important events showing the power and professionalism of our army. All this shows that the conflict must be resolved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," the head of state stressed.