President Aliyev: Azerbaijan to ensure security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh
By Vafa Ismayilova
President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan will ensure safety of Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh in the same speech where he said that the ongoing military operations will stop once Armenian troops are withdrawn from occupied Azerbaijani territories.
Aliyev made the remarks in an interview with the Italian La Repubblica newspaper on November 2.
“I many times said that all those who live in Nagorno-Karabakh will continue to live there in peace and dignity. Armenians are our citizens. There are thousands of Armenians who live in different parts of Azerbaijan, primarily in Baku, and those Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh can be sure that their security will be provided, their financial situation will be much better,” Aliyev said.
He added that these citizens will live much better than the life they live today under the suppression of the junta regime in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan close to restoring territorial integrity
Asked if Azerbaijan started to taste the flavour of the victory, Aliyev said: “Our task was to restore the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and we are coming closer to this task.”
The president added that Azerbaijan was strictly committed to the peaceful settlement talks in the past 30 years, waiting for the restoration of its territorial integrity. Meanwhile, he stressed Armenia’s provoking statements and actions in the past couple of years.
“So the last one took place on September 27. We had to respond and our response was very sensitive to Armenia. So, when we talk about the victory we did not put in front of us such a target. We wanted to resolve it at the negotiation table. But we were always ready to do it on the battlefield what we are doing,” Aliyev said.
Russia unwilling to intervene
Speaking about Russia’s position not to intervene in the situation, Aliyev said that being one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group which created the legal basis for a peaceful solution to the conflict, “mediators must be neutral, no matter how they feel about the situation”.
“Therefore, the neutrality now which we more or less see on the ground, I think is the only way how things can happen. Therefore, it was not a kind of a green light for us. We responded to the Armenian attack on September 27 without any 100% understanding who will do what. We just did what we thought was right to defend our country, to defend our people, and to restore justice,” Aliyev said.
Political and moral support from Turkey
Speaking about Turkey’s political and moral support to Azerbaijan, Aliyev described it as very important.
“I many times referred to the fact that this is only political and moral support, but it was sufficient. Because such a strong country as Turkey when openly declares its position on this issue, it also sends the signal to the whole world, that Azerbaijan is doing the right thing. Azerbaijan is restoring its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan is fighting on its territory. We are not aggressors, we are not attacking other countries. Therefore, this political support which started in the early hours of the clashes and continues up to now is very important for the conflict resolution,” said the president.
Terrorists fighting on Armenian side
Aliyev denied the presence of any jihadists in the country fighting on the side of Azerbaijan. He added that so far Azerbaijan had been presented no evidence proving this.
“We can mobilize several times more if we announce the total mobilization. We have modern weapons. We have sophisticated technology. And we have a very high moral spirit. Therefore, there is no need for that,” he added.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had enough evidence about foreigners fighting on the Armenian side.
“We know that PKK is there, we know that some terrorists from the Middle East joined the so-called “army of Nagorno-Karabakh”. Therefore, unfortunately, this issue is absolutely out of the picture. So, it creates an impression of a deliberate political attack on Azerbaijan. Plus, why Armenians are also exploiting this false statement, because for them probably it is very painful to admit that we beat them on the battlefield,” the president said.
Aliyev said that through his latest letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for military help, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan admitted Armenia’s defeat and Azerbaijan’s victory.
Armenia responsible for truce violations
The president said that Armenia was also responsible for three humanitarian ceasefire violations and that following each case, Armenia attacked Azerbaijani civilians in Ganja and Barda.
“They needed ceasefire in order to continue their aggression, in order to try to regain and occupy again the territories which we have liberated. And also they wanted to create a chaos, panic in Azerbaijan by attacking civilians but they miscalculated the spirit of Azerbaijani people,” he said.
Aliyev said that 91 civilians had been killed and over 400 wounded in Armenia’s mean attacks since September 27.
Furthermore, Aliyev dismissed as false Pashinyan’s accusations about the so-called genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Talking about the so-called genocide is absolutely unacceptable and this is another fake which they want to present as they always do. They always want to present themselves as the people who are always suffering, always crying always needing help... Therefore, he tries to use every fake method in order to get some support. Therefore, it is absolutely wrong. And as I said, and I am responsible for what I am saying, those Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh can be sure that their security will be provided,” Aliyev added.
War not to affect energy cooperation with Italy
Aliyev ruled out that the ongoing conflict with Armenia will affect Azerbaijan’s energy cooperation with Italy.
“I am sure that this conflict will influence our relations not only with Italy but with any other country. So, I am sure about that,” Aliyev said.
Aliyev said Azerbaijan is ready to stop the war if Armenia withdraws all its troops from the occupied lands. As Pashinyan failed to take such a commitment, then “it shows he does not want the war to stop“.
Aliyev praised special partnership relations with Italy, expressing confidence that plans of cooperation with Italy in the non-energy sector will be implemented.
“On energy track, we did I think all that we planned today. I think Italy for us is a major trading partner, because of oil supplies. And also soon we will celebrate the inauguration of TAP. Thus, the Southern Gas Corridor will be completed. Plus, many Italian companies work in Azerbaijan successfully for many years. We are planning to invite more Italian companies as contractors,” he concluded.
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