Deputy Premier Ali Hasanov: Azerbaijan will liberate its territories in any way"

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Mətbuat xidmətinin məlumatı 24 August, 2015

"Azerbaijan will liberate its territories in any way," said Deputy Prime Minster of the Republic of Azerbaijan, chairman of the State Committee for Refugee and IDP Affairs Ali Hasanov as he met Director of FCO's Department of Eastern Europe and Central Asia of Great Britain Michael Tatham. Ali Hasanov said British delegations visited Azerbaijan regularly and noted the country praised it. He noted that all these meetings featured discussions on Azerbaijan's main problem - the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Deputy Premier said 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territories were occupied as a result of the dispute and over 1 million people became refugees and IDPs. Mr. Hasanov said Azerbaijan faced double standards in the international arena. He noted decisions and declarations of the UN Security Council and other international organizations on liberation of the occupied territories had not been fulfilled by Armenia. Ali Hasanov said the OSCE Minsk group engaged in settling the conflict. The Deputy Premier noted President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev conducted independent policy. Ali Hasanov noted that, continuing to occupy the Azerbaijani lands, aggressive Armenia achieved nothing. For this period, the economy of Armenia appeared in even more difficult situation. For the last years, the Armenian people benefited nothing from the conflict, on the contrary, a lot of things lost. Azerbaijan after restoration of its independence has built a democratic, constitutional state. Today Azerbaijan is open for the world, it is the most tolerant country. Representatives of all nationalities, religions live here as one family, in the conditions of peace and tranquility. Churches and synagogues function in Baku. Over the last ten years, the country has held two interreligious international conferences. Religious leaders almost from 160 countries participated in these events. Despite occupation of its lands, Azerbaijan is the most stable, safe country on the CIS space. Over the last ten years, Azerbaijan, quickly developing under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, has turned into one of the authoritative countries of the world. We are already recognized and accepted not as the oil and gas country, also as the country realizing global projects, accepting the important actions directed on the solution of universal problems. We can show as an example “Eurovision” song contest, First European Olympic Games held in Baku for the first time, international dialogue forums and many other similar events. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed that, the achievements of our country would be even greater if our lands have not been occupied and if we haven’t faced with refugees and internally displaced persons problem. Today the European countries are helpless in front of 600-700 thousands of refugees. Let’s think which problems the refugees face in those countries. All the rights of these people have been completely violated, but Europe wants to give a democracy lesson to us. Then how does Azerbaijan with a population of 10 million overcome with 1 million 200 thousand refugees and internally displaced persons? The works done by the President of Azerbaijan in this direction is an example for the whole world. Michael Tatham said it was his first visit to Azerbaijan and praised ongoing development processes in Baku. Mr. Tatham said Great Britain attached great importance to the relations with Azerbaijan and interested in enhancing of these ties. He said the two countries had excellent relations, especially in trade, economic, and energy sectors. "Our position is clear: The occupation must be stopped, and refugees and IDPs must be returned to their mother lands. We support the OSCE Minsk Group's activity but it upsets us also that the organizations achieved no serious progresses," said Michael Tatham.