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Ilham Aliyev: â€œ7 regions must be liberated first and status of Nagorno Karabakh should be determined in the next phaseâ€

13 February 2009 16:29 (UTC +04:00)

He said there was never a defense-industry complex in Azerbaijan and this sphere was created in recent years. â€œToday Azerbaijani Army is a structure, which is able to fulfill any duty, first of all the duty of liberation of the occupied territories. If Azerbaijan had this potential after the collapse of USSR, our lands would not be occupiedâ€. Ilham Aliyev said the negotiations process did not play out and there was still a hope for peaceful solution to the conflict. â€œThe conflict should be resolved phase by phase. In the first phase, 7 regions around Nagorno Karabakh must be liberated. The status of Nagorno Karabakh should be determined in the next phase. This status should be determined within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and with consideration of the highest autonomy of Nagorno Karabakh that was never mono-ethnic as it is today. We think that current format of the negotiations reflect these approaches. There is a new leadership in Armenia now and there is a hope for more constructive approach by Yerevan to this issueâ€.