TODAY.AZ / Politics

President Ilham Aliyev: Beginning of Azerbaijani lands’ de-occupation - first step in phased settlement of Karabakh conflict

06 April 2018 [10:00] - TODAY.AZ

By  Trend


Beginning of de-occupation of Azerbaijani territory is the first step in phased settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with TASS agency.

“Of course, the current situation is not acceptable either for Azerbaijan or for the international community. All the more so, the countries that have the mandate for the mediation mission, the OSCE Minsk Group co-charing countries - Russia, France and the US - have repeatedly declared at the level of the heads of state that the status quo is unacceptable and should be changed. We fully share these positions and consider such statements to be very correct. But we are waiting for concrete actions. Statements are, of course, important, but we need a settlement of the issue,” he said.

The head of state noted that there are all legal mechanisms to settle the issue.

“More than twenty years ago the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territory. These resolutions remain valid and must be implemented. But Armenia refuses to fulfill them. And unfortunately, no sanctions were imposed on Armenia for this refusal. Other international organizations also adopted a similar decision and resolutions. OSCE, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, European Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Non-Aligned Movement and other organizations adopted similar resolutions - Armenia does not fulfill them,” Ilham Aliyev said.

Ilham Aliyev stressed that the occupation of Azerbaijani lands continues.

“As a result of the occupation, more than a million Azerbaijanis became IDPs and refugees on their own land. Our cities were destroyed, people were expelled. Ethnic cleansing was carried out against us. All this was proved by facts and materials,” said the president.

He said the main problem is that Armenia does not want to change the status quo.

“Armenia in words declares a desire to negotiate, but in fact is engaged in their imitation. It makes every effort to ensure that everything goes in circles and to create a process without an end. It is not acceptable for us and for the international community. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure speedy fulfillment of the UN Security Council resolutions by Armenia and start of de-occupation of the Azerbaijani territory. Not only Nagorno-Karabakh, but also Azerbaijan’s seven districts, which don’t have and didn’t have anything to do with the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijani SSR, are under occupation. The beginning of de-occupation of the Azerbaijani territory is the first step in the phased settlement of the conflict, which should be carried out on the basis of norms and principles of international law,” President Aliyev said.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/168609.html

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