Ziyafat Asgarov, deputy speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, has again raised the possibility of a resumption of war over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Talking to journalists on Friday, Asgarov said Armenia's disregard for international law had caused deadlock in negotiations to find a settlement.
His remarks echoed comments made yesterday by Presidential Administration official Ali Hasanov.
Asked whether war could be expected, Asgarov replied: “You will see it very soon.”
Commenting on the Armenian National Assembly's failure to vote yesterday on recognition of Karabakh, Asgarov said: "The Armenian parliament did not recognize the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh, since as I understand it, if they had, this would have confirmed the occupation of Azerbaijani land."
Asgarov's remarks followed talks on Karabakh in Moscow yesterday involving the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is mediating a solution to the conflict.
The deputy speaker expressed his dissatisfaction with the mediators.
“Unfortunately, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and other international organizations do not put enough pressure on Armenia. They express their concern at the protraction of the process, but I wonder who is stopping them from exerting pressure? They express their concern, but there are no results."
Ratcheting up the rhetoric, Asgarov said: "I think that from now on Azerbaijan’s economy, especially its industry, should be put on a war footing. Much has been done in this field. But we do not have the opportunity or the time to tolerate the spoilt policy of Serzh Sargsyan and his government. Azerbaijan has shown great patience up to now. The international community has seen that Azerbaijan supports peace and negotiations, but international law enables Azerbaijan to liberate its territory by any means. This is our right and we reserve this right. The whole world saw in Astana that it's impossible to hold peace talks with Armenia. you have to talk to it in a different language.”
"Armenia is temporarily in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The Armenian leadership uses this policy on Nagorno-Karabakh in an attempt to divert attention from Armenia's poverty. Armenians know that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has been fixed in the negotiations," Asgarov said.
He was speaking to journalists at the Avenue of Honour, where he had been visiting the grave of former President Heydar Aliyev. The seventh anniversary of his death falls on 13 December.
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