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INT'L INSTITUTIONS CAN'T COPE WITH THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, PRESIDENT ALIYEV SAYS
Trend , Azerbaijan
December 2, 2014 Tuesday 1:59 PM GMT +4
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 2
Trend:
Armenia does not want peace, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said
in an interview to "Russia-24" TV channel All-Russia State Television
and Radio Broadcasting Company.
Speaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the president said Armenia
doesn't want to resolve the long-lasting issue with Azerbaijan.
"It wants to leave everything as it is and to maintain the status
quo," he said. "Unfortunately, we cannot talk about the success in
the negotiation process."
"Although the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries,
namely, Russia, US and France have repeatedly stated that the status
quo is unacceptable and must be changed," the president said.
President Aliyev said the change of the status quo means the
de-occupation of Azerbaijan's territory, which is the main condition
for resolving the conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire
agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia,
France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
President Aliyev said the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict differs from all other conflicts in the post-Soviet area,
because there are the UN Security Council resolutions for its solution.
"There are four resolutions, rather than one, requiring immediate
and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied
territories," President Aliyev said. "They have not been fulfilled for
more than 20 years. Unfortunately, there is no mechanism for their
implementation, as Armenia simply ignores them. These resolutions
must be the basis of the conflict settlement, there is no other way."
President Aliyev said this year differs from the previous years by
the intensive negotiation process.
"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries in the face of the
presidents of these countries have actively participated in the
negotiation process," the president said. "I don't think it has ever
happened before. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting
with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Sochi in August. In
September, US Secretary of State Kerry held a similar meeting with us,
and in late October French President Francois Hollande also invited
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to meet in Paris. We held
bilateral and trilateral discussions."
The president said besides the settlement of the conflict and the
negotiation process, one of the issues was about strengthening the
confidence-building measures, the desire to have fewer incidents on
the contact line and that the sides' would trust each other more.
"Both sides - Armenia and Azerbaijan - positively evaluated the meeting
in Paris," Ilham Aliyev said, adding that this was also mentioned in
the public comments.
However, just two weeks later Armenia began to hold the so-called
military exercises in the occupied part of Azerbaijan, he stressed.
"Moreover, they were holding these exercises not in Armenia, or even
within the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region, but on the territory
of Aghdam district of Azerbaijan, just along the line of contact,"
President Aliyev said.
He went on to add that according to the data of the Armenian side,
47,000 servicemen and thousands of types of equipment were involved
in the exercises.
"The question is what was the need to arrange provocations immediately
after a positive meeting in Paris?" the Azerbaijani president said.
With regard to the efficiency of international institutions in
addressing contemporary conflicts, President Aliyev said what is
happening in the world demonstrates that international institutions
don't cope with their responsibilities, and perhaps, don't justify
the hopes they are entrusted with.
"This also applies to our case, when for over 20 years the OSCE is
like a mediator," he said. "This also applies to the matters that
are within the competence of the UN."
The president further said that a deformation of international
institutions is going on in the world, which is a very alarming and
dangerous tendency.
"The leading countries of the world have to say their clear word here
not only with statements, but also with respect to the decisions that
are taken. Decisions are not made but actions are carried out - we
have seen this too many times in the modern world, not so long ago,"
the president said.
The president said the collapse of the existing mechanisms of
international cooperation will lead to a total chaos.
"I think that in this historical period of time the responsibility
falls on the leading countries of the world. They mustn't violate the
international law in the first place. They should support international
law and the world order that formed after World War II," President
Aliyev said.
Trend , Azerbaijan
December 2, 2014 Tuesday 1:59 PM GMT +4
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 2
Trend:
Armenia does not want peace, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said
in an interview to "Russia-24" TV channel All-Russia State Television
and Radio Broadcasting Company.
Speaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the president said Armenia
doesn't want to resolve the long-lasting issue with Azerbaijan.
"It wants to leave everything as it is and to maintain the status
quo," he said. "Unfortunately, we cannot talk about the success in
the negotiation process."
"Although the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries,
namely, Russia, US and France have repeatedly stated that the status
quo is unacceptable and must be changed," the president said.
President Aliyev said the change of the status quo means the
de-occupation of Azerbaijan's territory, which is the main condition
for resolving the conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts. The two countries signed a ceasefire
agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia,
France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
President Aliyev said the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict differs from all other conflicts in the post-Soviet area,
because there are the UN Security Council resolutions for its solution.
"There are four resolutions, rather than one, requiring immediate
and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the occupied
territories," President Aliyev said. "They have not been fulfilled for
more than 20 years. Unfortunately, there is no mechanism for their
implementation, as Armenia simply ignores them. These resolutions
must be the basis of the conflict settlement, there is no other way."
President Aliyev said this year differs from the previous years by
the intensive negotiation process.
"The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries in the face of the
presidents of these countries have actively participated in the
negotiation process," the president said. "I don't think it has ever
happened before. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting
with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Sochi in August. In
September, US Secretary of State Kerry held a similar meeting with us,
and in late October French President Francois Hollande also invited
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to meet in Paris. We held
bilateral and trilateral discussions."
The president said besides the settlement of the conflict and the
negotiation process, one of the issues was about strengthening the
confidence-building measures, the desire to have fewer incidents on
the contact line and that the sides' would trust each other more.
"Both sides - Armenia and Azerbaijan - positively evaluated the meeting
in Paris," Ilham Aliyev said, adding that this was also mentioned in
the public comments.
However, just two weeks later Armenia began to hold the so-called
military exercises in the occupied part of Azerbaijan, he stressed.
"Moreover, they were holding these exercises not in Armenia, or even
within the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region, but on the territory
of Aghdam district of Azerbaijan, just along the line of contact,"
President Aliyev said.
He went on to add that according to the data of the Armenian side,
47,000 servicemen and thousands of types of equipment were involved
in the exercises.
"The question is what was the need to arrange provocations immediately
after a positive meeting in Paris?" the Azerbaijani president said.
With regard to the efficiency of international institutions in
addressing contemporary conflicts, President Aliyev said what is
happening in the world demonstrates that international institutions
don't cope with their responsibilities, and perhaps, don't justify
the hopes they are entrusted with.
"This also applies to our case, when for over 20 years the OSCE is
like a mediator," he said. "This also applies to the matters that
are within the competence of the UN."
The president further said that a deformation of international
institutions is going on in the world, which is a very alarming and
dangerous tendency.
"The leading countries of the world have to say their clear word here
not only with statements, but also with respect to the decisions that
are taken. Decisions are not made but actions are carried out - we
have seen this too many times in the modern world, not so long ago,"
the president said.
The president said the collapse of the existing mechanisms of
international cooperation will lead to a total chaos.
"I think that in this historical period of time the responsibility
falls on the leading countries of the world. They mustn't violate the
international law in the first place. They should support international
law and the world order that formed after World War II," President
Aliyev said.