President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has talked about the Karabakh situation and Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with the Sky News TV Company.
He said Azerbaijan had always supported negotiations and participated in the talks for 28 years, since the OSCE Minsk group's foundation.
He says Azerbaijan hopes the negotiations to succeed and resolve the conflict.
''Unfortunately, Armenia had an opposite position,'' he said, adding Armenia always wanted to consolidate the status quo not to give the lands back under the principles of the UN Security Council resolutions and OSCE Minsk group.
Aliyev hopes Armenia to act more logically, listen to mediators' and be earnest when sitting at the negotiations table.
"The world recognizes our territorial integrity. Armenia called a security zone to the territory along Karabakh to leave them occupied. Besides, current confrontation shows that no security zones exist in the modern world. The security should be ensured via political means. That's why we always said that political resolution can ensure the security for all the sides: Azerbaijanis, Armenians and other ethnicities living in the area,'' Aliyev said.
"But they are bombing our towns. The Armenian attacks killed 31 ordinary citizens and left 170 injured,'' he said.
In Alyiev's words, the key issues should be discussed for holding the negotiations like the occupation, liberation of territories, and the Azerbaijanis' return.
''Afterwards, peacekeepers should naturally arrive,'' he added, saying everything should occur as part of peacekeeping agreements.
''If both parties sign the agreements, they both will choose who the peacekeeper will be,'' Aliyev claimed.
In his words, the progress is 'zero' although the negotiations had been underway since 1992.
''By the end of September, Armenia shelled our towns and killed innocent people. We were to respond, and we did. Thus, we want negotiations to be held,'' Aliyev concluded.
Anano Nikoladze
News Author