Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan's military budget will reach $2 billion in 2008, President Ilham Aliyev has said.
Addressing a government meeting on the outcomes of socio-economic development in the first quarter of the year on Monday, President Aliyev said the country's key goal was to settle the long-standing Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict with Armenia and to restore Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.
The political and diplomatic steps already taken in this area have been successful, the head of state said, citing as an example the resolution demanding unconditional pullout of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories passed at the UN General Assembly in mid-March.
He reminded that the document was adopted although the mediating states co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - voted against it.
"This indicates our strength," Aliyev said.
He reiterated that Azerbaijan would never make concessions with regard to its territorial integrity.
The president pointed to Armenia's non-constructive stance. "Yerevan's policy on the Garabagh problem will never bring it success, while Azerbaijan will resolve the conflict in its favor."
Assessing Azerbaijan's socio-economic development, President Aliyev said the country's economy grew 96 per cent in 2004-2007, and the tendency continued in Q1 2008. The Gross Domestic Product increased 14 per cent in January-March, with a similar growth rate observed in industrial production.
Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan maintains a leading position in the world on budget expenses per capita and the country's currency reserves have reached $9 billion.
The president said up to 400,000 citizens have benefited from the state program on direct social assistance. The population's income rose 33 per cent in Q1.
Aliyev said the government was consistently working to counter price increases in the domestic market, reduce poverty and eliminate unemployment. 668,000 jobs have been opened in the country since 2004, including 478,000 permanent positions.