The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is currently at a crucial stage of settlement, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated at the celebrations of Novruz Bairam on March 20.
“We have reached the crucial stage in settling the conflict. The negotiations can be said to have mainly been completed. Most of the proposals, for a few exceptions, meet Azerbaijan’s interests. They ensure territorial integrity and return of all the occupied territories to Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.
According to him, Azerbaijan has not made a single step back from its position at the negotiations. “We remain committed to our positions stated several years ago. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be restored, the occupation troops must be withdrawn from all the occupied territories, for Azerbaijani citizens to return there. The communication has to be resumed, and, with Armenians – and, of course, Azerbaijanis — living there, Nagorno-Karabakh will be granted the highest status of autonomy,” Aliyev said.
According to him, the future will show what kind of status it will be. “Any status of Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan is out of the question. It will not happen – neither tomorrow, nor in 100 years, never. We cannot accept it, and it is our position of principle. Nagorno-Karabakh will never be granted independence. Azerbaijan will never recognize Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence — nor the rest of the world will,” the Azeri leader said.
Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan is stepping up its diplomatic efforts, using its potential for consolidating its political economic and military systems.
“We do not conceal this fact because Azerbaijan is in a state of war. And it is no mere coincidence that defense expenses constitute a greater part of our on-budget expenditures. After the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh, conflict has been settled, such huge military expenses will, of course, not be needed any longer,” Ilham Aliyev said as quoted by 1news.az.
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