Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan Liberated Territories From Armenian Occupation

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue that Azerbaijan had liberated its territories from Armenian occupation and restored justice and its dignity. Throughout the 35 years of independence, he said, the country had always believed it would achieve its goals.

Aliyev said the main goal for most of those years was to restore territorial integrity and liberate Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia. He said negotiations conducted over many years yielded no results, and that the format was structured so that the conflict would be frozen rather than resolved. When it became clear the process was leading nowhere, Azerbaijan decided to resolve the issue, citing its legitimate rights, including the UN Charter and the right to self-defense under Article 51.

The territories had been under Armenian occupation for 32 years, Aliyev said, and Azerbaijan had fulfilled the requirements of international law. He noted that UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993 demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops, but those resolutions had remained on paper for 30 years.