Azerbaijani MP: Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations should not depend on Armenia's whim and arrogance

Recently, Azerbaijan President opened a new residential block for IDPs as part of his Gabala trip. Can you, please, tell more about work the government carries out to improve lives of IDPs?

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visits to country’s regions has become a tradition. Each visit aims not only to inspect the work done, but also to open new facilities.Center of economic development in Azerbaijan gradually shifts from the capital to the regions. Already many experts in the capital tend to take up these newly created jobs. I think that today this is the best indicator of the country’s development.

The internally displaced persons emerged as a result of neighboring Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan and occupation of its territories. IPDS and refugees are a big problem for any country. It is necessary to solve their social problems, employment, housing, education and health.

The issue of internally displaced persons have been focus of our state from the beginning of the conflict. In 1993, it was even a catastrophic problem. But since then the Azerbaijani leadership has solved a number of key issues step-by-step creating good conditions for the refugees who earlier lived in subhuman conditions without amenities and schools.

In 2003, after President Aliyev was elected president, he promised that there would be no tent camp for refugees by the end of his term in office. Settlements for refugees were built over these five years leaving no single refugee camp.

The second phase is underway now and people living in kindergartens, production facilities are moving to normal furnished houses. Schools and hospitals are built for them.

The Azerbaijan government is doing much to address problems of refugees. But, most importantly, Azerbaijan pursues a policy aimed at return of IDPs to their homes.

Azerbaijan’s adherence to principles in this matter makes its position even stronger and more and more countries back Azerbaijan in the international arena. The failure of Armenia’s policy to maintain the occupied territories is obvious.

In what stage is the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? How long the status quo may last?

The negotiations held within the OSCE Minsk Group, co-chaired by three permanent members of UN Security Council, show that Azerbaijan has included discussions over the Nagorno Karabakh issue to the daily agenda of world politics. There are many conflicts in the world that remain  unresolved for decades and are not paid as much attention as they need. But Azerbaijan’s  strong state policy and an increase in its military power led to the fact that Armenia is forced to accept Azerbaijan position and its demand to respect territorial integrity of the state.

President Ilham Aliyev consistently informs the public about the negotiation process that emphasizes Azerbaijan’s strong position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Ss can be seen, the OSCE Minsk Group is more and more inclined to just position of Azerbaijan on withdrawal from the occupied territories.

That Azerbaijan will never agree with establishment of a second Armenian state on its occupied territories stand at the basis of the entire negotiation process. I think that there is progress in the negotiation process in this respect though it is small.

And did Armenia capture Azerbaijan’s lands through negotiations?

Not, of course. The negotiation process can not continue for decades. This process should not depend on Armenia’s whim and arrogance. Nowhere in the world an occupier country makes  claims to the world public and nowhere in the world an occupier feels in freedom as Armenia.

Azerbaijan has the right to use other ways to solve the conflict including the military option. And if that happens, I think the world will treat it with understanding, as this will take place within the UN Charter, the States' right to liberate the occupied territories and to defend territorial integrity.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and they should be mandatory for everybody, but what to do if the resolutions are not implemented?

The United Nations is a political platform. It has no mechanism to force any country to fulfill its obligations. At the same time, four UN Security Council resolutions are very significant achievement. Armenia would do everything to get the organization adopt at least one resolution based on its false and biased claims.

With regard to what steps Azerbaijan can take, I believe that we should act in all directions both diplomatically and economically and also in terms of propaganda and in military power.

Only combining all these ways and possible forms of struggle, Azerbaijan can achieve its goal, namely, liberation of its occupied territories.

A series of events dedicated to the Khojaly genocide were held in many countries this year. In your opinion, to what degree the Azerbaijani side could persuade the world community of inhumane acts of the Armenian nationalists?

I participated in events marking the anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy for four days in Turkey. Rallies attended by more than 1,000 people were held in Istanbul and my general impression is that the world has learned more about Khojaly. After all, similar events were held not only in Turkey but also in many countries around the world.

Armenia has reacted more to such events in recent years. On the eve of the anniversary of Khojali tragedy the Armenian propaganda machine attempted to cast a shadow on activities carried out by Azerbaijan but it failed to do so, because, unlike the imaginary "Armenian genocide", Khojaly tragedy did happen and it was very horrible. Armenian armed forces staged anti-human acts.

The insolence of Armenia is that it presents this tragedy as a tragedy of the Armenian people, introducing bloody pictures of Khojaly as their own. I think that these tricks are outdated and the world have begun to look at Armenia has with objective eyes.


N. Abdullayeva