BAKU (APA)—Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, in addressing his government, unequivocally rejected granting independence to Karabakh as he outlined key points to which, he alleged, both sides have agreed.
“The issue of granting independence to Nagorno Karabakh at whatever time—even in a 100 years—is not discussed in negotiations and it never will,” said Aliyev adding, “Azeri lands must be liberated from the invaders. Citizens of Azerbaijan, internally displaced persons should return to their native lands, including to Nagorno-Karabakh. This issue is also reflected in the negotiating process.”
“Nagorno-Karabakh may be granted temporary status. But this does not mean independence, and the two parties—Armenia and Azerbaijan—will continue to discuss the future status of Nagorno Karabakh in further negotiations. Here are the basic principles around which the negotiations are continuing. I hope that the Armenian side will soon take the steps necessary to solve the problem by showing a constructive approach,” said Aliyev.
After the recent meeting in Moldova with his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, Aliyev announced that talks had not yielded any results, countering Armenian and OSCE statements that proclaimed optimism about the continuing negotiations.
In his Saturday remarks, Aliyev pointed the finger at Armenia saying that his observed impasse was a result of the “unconstructive position of Armenia,” which he said was employing “delaying tactics.” He accused Armenia of bringing up issued that he claimed have been agreed to back to the negotiation table.
On several occasions during his presentation Saturday, the Azeri president reiterated his belief that Armenia must “withdraw” from the liberated territories surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, adding that continuing the talks based on the principle of territorial integrity has been agreed upon by all parties.
“Most of all, Azerbaijan wants the status quo in the region to change. This status quo has kept our territories under occupation for 20 years. But this status quo should change positively. If the status quo changes at the expense of Azerbaijan’s interests, we will not allow it,” proclaimed Aliyev.
“The Azeri army is the strongest in the region with the largest military capabilities. We need to continue to expand this capacity because, as I said, we are living [in a state of] war. The war is not over yet, and the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, unfortunately, have not yielded any results yet,” declared Aliyev.
After reading Aliyev’s comments, I think it is about time Armenia threatened Azerbaijan with taking Baku.
Armenians can say the same thing to the Azeris the late Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, was fond of telling Palestinians, that they (Palestinians) are welcome to move to Jordan if they wanted a homeland.
Azeris do have a homeland and they are welcome to go there, and join their brethren in…Iran.
But since today’s diplomacy does not permit such official utterances, Armenian officials should at least shut Aliyev up, by saying NASA has better chances in establishing a permanent lunar colony then Azerbaijan colonizing Artsakh.
I hope Mr.Aliyev knows that, in case he chooses to attack us again, this time he will lose his Baku. Not even 1cm of land shall be given back. His threats and statements are childish, and the only reason for all his comments is for him not losing his chair. If he knew that there is a 10% possibility that he would get back “his” lands, he would have attacked long before.
who is this man threatening?
The Turkish and Azeri governments have launched a propaganda campaign that keeps on using the word “occupation” when talking about Karabagh. The Armenian side’s silence in this matter is deafening. Why are we letting these people propagate wrongful information, meant to brainwash countries who are not knowledgeable about how the Karabagh conflict started? Why can’t we launch our own counterattack by running headlines that inform people about how this situation came to be? How can we be called “occupiers” when the Azeris were the aggressors, attacked the Armenians in Baku attempting an ethnic cleansing? The region of Nagorno Karabagh that is ethnically and historically Armenian and was given to Azerbaijan by Stalin defended itself against a disciplined army and won the war together with all the strategic territories (the majority of which is also historically Armenian) that it advanced in? The Azeris lost the war, now they want to cheat their way out of losing and regain those lands by distorting the facts…. and our side is silent! How can a people be called an “occupier” when it is controlling land that belonged to it for centuries and was unjustly bartered away by the Russians? And of all nations, for Turkey to say that it is wrong to occupy other people’s lands? Ooooh for hypocrisy! They are winning the smear campaign folks! Where are our voices???
katia K. jan, please, you are the one, you be our voices, get it out there now!!! organize it publish it and get it to every senator and British parliament member now! and the united nations, all the way. their ways have not changed and can not. the turkish government . first of all, can never ever have any say in this matter we must protest this, ” in a real world.’ we must protest that vehemently. (regardless of the state department). part of the brainwashing, they are THE PERPETRATORS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE and no country that is blood cousins of theirs can threaten us ether. the international community and the international holocaust organization recognized THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY TURKEY long ago. this is a game the turkish government has Azeris playing to help them to deflect the real threat of THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE crimes they have to pay for. to taunt Armenia that’s the way they play. its not real they can not have karabaph back, they know this. but have to play the game for their blood cousins who are truly in trouble. TURKEY’S GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS, is the issue here. we have to keep our focus on this real issue THE GENOCIDE in their face and their cousins faces. every time Turkey and Azeri government get into it about this in the press, which naturally involves us, we have to protest, and bring upTHE TURKISH GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS. we can demand it they know right now!! no historical commission or protocols can help them anymore.or will. or the countries that are side stepping the inconvenient truth no.no more continuation of genocide by denying and calling into question this is it. we can demand this of Russia and US. we don’t just have the memory of the survivors and ours to deal with we have a perpetrator who is committing genocide to this day, denial its continuation of genocide. this is the issue. turkey is asking the Azeri’s to keep us very busy with karabagh, we can’t buy into a curve ball. this game has to stop now! none of the big players can afford an irruption on that pipeline route. every other word out of our months, TURKEY’S GENOCIDE OF THE ARMENIANS, no matter what. thats what’s bothering them. so they taunt us cause its their way remember like they did our fathers and mothers . the more they threaten us the more leverage we have. not one Armenian can be dragged into their ways and war, we are civilized and deserve justice. THEY COMMITTED GENOCIDE and nothing can help them now. photographs of THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE should be all over the white house in a concise catalog with the karabagh issue hand in hand. and British downing street too, published and sent to every senator and british parliament member and the united nations too. and every demonstration should have every picture of THE GENOCIDE PLASTERED on every board sign we carry. we have evidence lets share the info.