Azerbaijan concerned about possible development of events around Iran, President Aliyev said

The president said Azerbaijan's relations with neighboring countries, Europe and the US are improving.

The experience shows that it is possible to live in integration conditions with neighbors and to have very good relations with the leading international organizations. We do not face with geopolitical choice from this aspect. We do our best for our people, nation and Azerbaijan's economic development and political stability shows that our choice is right, he said.

Commenting on Azerbaijan's membership to NATO the President said that our country is the participant of different programs of the North Atlantic Alliance.

We hope that this partnership and cooperation will continue. But participation in an international organization should be mutually coordinated. Neither NATO nor our country is ready for this. Therefore we should continue our cooperation. Azerbaijan participates in the peacekeeping operations of the NATO all over the world and we are reliable partners. Time will show how this partnership and cooperation will develop. I would not like to predict anything. We should establish our policy on realities. When both sides are ready for new format of cooperation, and are eager for this it will happen. But only the time will show when this will happen, he added.

President Ilham Aliyev also took a stance on Iran's nuclear program.

Every country can have nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, if it is based on international rules. Everything should be balanced in the framework of law and international organizations engaged in such programs. We consider that Iran like any other country has the right to improve nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. However, if the international community, international organizations are concerned about this program, this should be solved too. That is why, the negotiations should be held constructively, peaceful and in a good mood in order to ensure the interests of both Iran and international organizations and international community. Certainly, as a neighbour country, we are concerned about possible development of these events. We advise insistently all sides to solve the problems in a peaceful way, Aliyev said.

President noted that he does not accept military solution of the problem.

Commenting on the current situation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Ilham Aliyev said that Yerevan ignores four resolutions of the UN Security Council which demand immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Armenia has pursued ethnic cleansing policy in Nagorno Karabakh and adjoining regions. 700,000 Azerbaijani were banished from the adjoining regions and 50,000 from Nagorno Karabakh itself. 250,000 Azerbaijanis, who lived in Armenia, were also subject to ethnic cleansing. Armenians has recently held referendum in Nagorno Karabakh, which was not recognized by any international organization. Everyone-European Union, Council of Europe, USA, France, Russia, and Turkey reproached the false referendum. How could they do it, to banish Azerbaijanis from their lands, to pursue ethnic cleansing policy?! This contradicts international norms. Nagorno Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory, and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has been recognized by the UN and all international community. That is why, the conflict should be solved in the frame of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and by giving self-management and autonomy to Nagorno Karabakh, President Aliyev said.

The president said that these cases happen in other places of the world too.

There are national minorities in some countries. May be, there is no minority only in Armenia, that is monostate. To be national minority does not mean that you can separate any territory form the country. Imagine that, what would happen if Armenians will try to self-determine in all countries that they live?!

How many new Armenian states will be formed?! Why they should decide their self-determination in Azerbaijan?! They already have Armenian state. Armenians have already decided their self-determination. Now they want to form a state in our territory, our land. Tomorrow they will try to form a state in other country’s territory. It is unacceptable! Our compromise and constructive approach is that we are negotiating for over 10 years. We hope Armenian leadership will get wisdom and courage and withdraw invasive forces from our territories and will ensure the security of its country. Otherwise things may go in other direction. Azerbaijan is much more powerful than Armenia. Our economy is 7 times as strong as Armenia and it may be 20-30 times more in the next years. Azerbaijani people's patience is not bottomless. We propose a very constructive approach-large autonomy for Armenian people living in Nagorno Karabakh, security of all people living there, return of the displaced people to Nagorno Karabakh and territories adjacent to it and establishment of peace, he said.

The president stated that the principle of territorial integrity should be considered essential in the settlement of conflicts.

If the principle is violated, there occurs a chain reaction. There are a lot of national minorities living in Europe, Asia and other territories. What would happen if begin forming independent states?! According to our information and international observation, about 60,000 people live in Nagorno Karabakh at present. Who wants a new small country with 60,000 population to appear in world map? No one would want it and Azerbaijan will also be against it. Any territorial change in a country may be with the authorization of the same country. In our case, If Azerbaijan doesn't accept the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, it is never going to be independent. International community will never recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent state, he stressed, APA reports quoting to AzerTAg state agency.