Azeri leader rules out compromise on Karabakh
Azerbaijani TV Channel One, Baku
12 Mar 05
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said while he favours the idea
of meeting his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan to discuss ways
to settle the long-standing dispute over Nagornyy Karabakh, there is
nothing left to discuss.
In an interview with reporters broadcast by Azerbaijani state-run
Channel One TV on 12 March Aliyev said: “I have already met Kocharyan
several times and discussed almost all issues. The sides have made
their positions clear. There has been no change in our position. And
there can be none.”
President Aliyev also rejected the idea of mutual compromises to
resolve the conflict.
“What kind of a compromise should we make? What have we taken away
from them and what should we give them back now? So, mutual
concessions are out of the question. It is a wrong idea that [the
conflict] should be resolved through mutual compromises,” Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani president said the only thing his government could do
was to guarantee the security of the Karabakh Armenians, as well as
the Azerbaijanis who would return there.
“We can work on this. This is something that we can
discuss. Otherwise, we have nothing to concede,” Aliyev said.
President Aliyev said a meeting with Kocharyan could be scheduled
depending on meetings between the two countries’ foreign ministers,
Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan and Vardan Oskanyan of Armenia.
“The presidents can meet if there is progress in these negotiations,
if Armenia demonstrates a constructive position and finally realizes
that the issue can be resolved only in line with the norms of
international law and if the meetings between the foreign ministers
yield any result,” Aliyev said.