Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan's territories occupied by Armenia will be liberated at any cost, chairman of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh and head of the Shusha executive power, Bayram Safarov, told journalists on Wednesday.

Safarov was visiting the Alley of Martyrs in Baku over the 21st anniversary of the Armenian occupation of the town of Shusha in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which has been occupied for many years.

Shusha, the cultural center and capital of the historical Karabakh Khanate, fell victim to the Armenian aggression on May 8, 1992, when 290 sq. km of Azerbaijan's territory went to the control of the Armenian invaders.

As a result of the occupation of Shusha, 195 civilians were killed, 165 others wounded, 22,000 displaced and 68 taken hostage by the Armenians. Their fate is unknown to this day.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that had caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

"We must return to our native lands," Safarov said. "Armenia must withdraw from the occupied Azerbaijani territories."

According to him, if it is impossible to do so by peaceful means, through negotiations, Azerbaijan has a modern, powerful army and the Azerbaijani people should decide their own destiny and solve their problems.

"If necessary, our people will liberate their lands by military means. The Armenians just want to gain time because they have no other choice," Safarov said.

He emphasized that today the world community is aware of Azerbaijan's fair cause and accepts it.

Safarov also addressed the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying, "We will return to our lands which are under occupation. Let the Armenians hear that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh can live there together with us. The Armenians, who lived there prior to 1992, have the right to live in Nagorno-Karabakh in the future. Because they are also citizens of Azerbaijan. But if they don't want that, they can move to the territory of Armenia."

Referring to the dialogue between the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh, Safarov said the Azerbaijani side has always been in favor of such meetings, while the Armenian side constantly avoids them.

"But I believe that they do want to meet," he added.