TODAY.AZ / Politics

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev: Resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the main problem and sore point for our country - UPDATE

01 August 2011 [16:30] - TODAY.AZ
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has said his country become the region`s ICT hub.

The President gave an interview to the Business Year magazine.

“Azerbaijan has become the region`s ICT hub an the possibilities of the internet are expanding rapidly. According to the latest statistical data, the national internet penetration rate is 50%. If, several years ago, one computer was available for every 1,000 people in Azerbaijan, today the proportion goes to 15 computers per 100 persons.”

“Azerbaijan is also becoming a country with a space industry. Azerbaijan`s first telecommunications satellite will be launched in 2012. Taking into account the geographical location of Azerbaijan and the development level of our national economy, we think that we have all the opportunities for the ICT sector to become the second most profitable field after the oil and gas sector in the near future,” the President added.

Azerbaijani leader also spoke of Azerbaijan's tourism potential.

“Our country has quite a large and attractive tourism potential. On the one hand, Azerbaijan has nine climatic zones, beautiful and picturesque nature, rich flora and fauna, cultural heritage, and historical monuments. On the other hand, the large-scale measures undertaken in recent years to ensure rapid social and economic development have renovated all fields of public life and created an infrastructure of services, transport, communications, and public utilities that make for favorable conditions to make tourism become an economic priority,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev told the magazine.

“The State Program on the Development of Tourism for 2010-2014 is being implemented in Azerbaijan. Our main objective is to bring the national tourism sector in line with world standards by 2014. In the light of all these tasks, 2011 was declared the “Year of Tourism” in Azerbaijan.”

“Modern hotels are being opened in large cities of the country to receive foreign guests. The system of tourism services is forming rapidly in all the regions. Almost 100 hotels were operational in 2003. However, their numbers exceeded 500 in 2010. For the time being, the construction of 35 new hotels is underway. By the end of 2011, six five-star hotels will be commissioned. The world-class Shahdag Winter-Summer Tourism Complex is of particular importance, being among the largest projects in the field of tourism,” the President said.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is an ancient land of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis have always lived there. All historical monuments and names of places belong to Azerbaijan. It is an integral part of our history and culture,” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview to the Business Year magazine devoted to the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan`s independence.

The Head of State underlined Armenians were relocated here from other areas and today, they want to create another Armenian state. He added neither Azerbaijan nor international community would allow it to happen.

President Ilham Aliyev pointed out he had welcomed the 26 May, 2011 joint statement of the Heads of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries. The President noted there is no contradiction between territorial integrity and self-determination in the Helsinki Final Act, adding peoples may use this right within the framework of territorial integrity. The Azerbaijani leader said it is the only way of solving the conflict.

According to the Head of State, peace and prosperity in the region can be established in the region only after restoration of the country`s territorial integrity and returning of IDPs to their homeland. He said Azerbaijan would never agree with Nagorno-Karabakh`s independence or its joining Armenia.

President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan`s military spending exceeds the whole Armenia`s state budget.

“In a word, Armenia`s leaders and Armenian lobby must comprehend the reality rightly and realize international community will never recognize results of the occupation and that the conflict would solved sooner or later,” he said.

Aliyev also spoke about the negotiations on the long-lasting Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

“Resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the main problem and sore point for our country”, President Ilham Aliyev said in his interview to the Business Year magazine dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan`s independence.

On the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Head of State said twenty percent of Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized lands had been under Armenia`s occupation, with over million Azerbaijanis becoming refugees and IDPs.

“Azerbaijanis have been exposed to a policy of ethnic cleansing and Armenians destroyed the historical and cultural monuments at the occupied territories. In 1992, 613 people were cruelly killed and hundreds taken hostage during Khojaly Genocide”, the President said.

“United Nations Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and return of refugees to their homes. But, these resolutions have not been yet implemented. Armenia does not also fulfil the resolutions of the OSCE, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other international organizations”.

The Head of State said in spite of the fact that OSCE Minsk group co-chairs have been engaged in resolution of this conflict since 1992, their attempts have not yielded any results because of Armenia`s destructive position”.

“The international community has to be an active to influence upon Armenia to refuse from its destructive position and it is the only thing to do”, President Ilham Aliyev added.


/AzerTAc/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/91821.html

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