ALIYEV URGES EU TO SEND TERSE MESSAGE TO ARMENIA
Assa-Irada
March 11 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has called on the European
Union to send a clear-cut message to aggressor Armenia.We believe
that the countries cooperating with us, and the EU in particular,
should continue their efforts aimed atsettling the Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict, Aliyev told a joint news conference after hosting
his Bulgariancounterpart Georgi Parvanov on Monday. A very explicit
and clear message should be sent to the aggressor nation thatUpper
Garabagh will never be independent and that no country will ever
recognize its independence. President Aliyevsaid that only in this
case is there hope for speeding up talks on resolving the long-lasting
dispute between the twoSouth Caucasus republics. Upper Garabagh is
an Azeri region occupied by Armenia since a 1994 cease-fire ended
separatisthostilities that killed an estimated 30,000 people and
ousted about a million Azeris out of their homes.
Years ofOSCE-brokered peace talks have brought little tangible
result. Ways of solving the Garabagh problem topped the agenda ofthe
two leaders one-on-one and broad discussions on the first day of
President Parvanovs three-day working visit toAzerbaijan. Azerbaijan
stated its position once again that the conflict must be settled
strictly within the countrysterritorial integrity and our people who
were subject to the policy of ethnic cleansing must unconditionally
return totheir native land, Aliyev said. Parvanov said his country had
clearly stated during its chairmanship in the OSCE thatit recognized
Upper Garabagh as part of Azerbaijan. You probably remember well that
we informed Azerbaijan of thisstance. The [mediating] Minsk Group is
aware of our position. As an EU member state, we remain committed to
it at the EUas well, the Bulgarian leader said.