President Aliyev: "Both Armenia and MG know that Nagorno Karabakh will never be granted status of independence"

This will enable us to deliver the Caspian Sea oil to the world market. This pipeline, of course, is of great importance for other countries and companies. Kazakhstan's joining this project proved this fact once more. Some resisting forces said that this project is economically groundless and inefficient," Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev told Turkish Cumhuriyyet newspaper, APA reports.

Touching on Armenian lobbies' impeding implementation of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway project, he said that Armenian lobbies are in animosity against Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"It is reality and truth. Look, Armenian lobby was actively against BTC project and even sent letters to and exerted pressure on international organizations financing this project. But Azerbaijan's and Turkey's will and Georgia's activity didn't allow them to achieve their goals. I am sure that we will implement Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway project too despite their efforts. They can exert pressure on the foreign financial organizations but now we don't need these organizations. Azerbaijan is and will be much stronger and have strong position in the region. Armenia is and will be isolated from the international projects and their condition will go from bad to worse."

Touching on recent proposals of OSCE Minsk Group's statement, Mr. Aliyev said that the proposals belong to the MG.

"We haven't come to agreement. We are far from agreement. Only there are some certain proposals. We don't object to OSCE MG's publicizing the proposals as we never were in favor of confidentiality in the talks. We agreed to confidentiality taking the opposite side's offer into account."

Saying territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has to be restored, Mr. Aliyev noted that no compromise can be made in this issue. "The occupied lands have to be liberated, eliminated from the occupier forces, Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs have to return to their homelands. As to the future status of Karabakh, opinion of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities living in Karabakh can be taken into consideration. Before the war, Azerbaijanis and Armenians lived in Karabakh. Azerbaijanis' returning to Nagorno Karabakh is a stipulation, they have to be settled there and after that the communities and Azerbaijan can solve the problem on the status of N. Karabakh as it is integral part of Azerbaijan. The future will show how much time the talks will take.
We will not allow violation of Azerbaijan's territorial wholeness, decision on separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan. MG co-chairs and Armenian leadership knows that. Simply, Armenian side brings up points not corresponding with the reality. Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is not an issue to discuss and the status of independence will never be granted to Nagorno Karabakh."

Saying international community recognizes N. Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan, he noted that the UNO and others recognize territorial wholeness with Karabakh is a part of it.
"In this case, independence can't be discussed. There is practice of minorities' living norms. Authority exists in some countries of Europe. Why does Karabakh differ? Why the territory in which national minorities live should be separated from Azerbaijan and declared independent? We will never allow this, nobody, no organization no country will ever recognize Nagorno Karabakh's independence."