Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan Not to Negotiate with Karabakh

Baku / 02.08.18 / Turan: If it were not for the aggressive policy of Armenia, today this country would not be isolated from international projects and was not in a difficult economic situation. This was stated by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, speaking on Wednesday at the ceremony of housing for the families of war and Chernobyl veterans.

The new government of Armenia should well understand this and not repeat the mistakes of the former regime of the criminal junta, he said and rejected Yerevan's proposals that Azerbaijan negotiate a settlement with the Karabakh separatists.

Aliyev called "unacceptable" Yerevan"s statements that Azerbaijan should negotiate not with Armenia, but with the self-proclaimed regime of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"This is generally unacceptable, and the party that comes forward with such a proposal knowingly knows that it will not be accepted. On the other hand, this proposal will never be accepted by the mediators," he said.

After that Yerevan nevertheless goes on negotiations with Baku at the level of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.

"We understand that the new government needs some time to correctly analyze the practice that exists in international relations," he continued.

"At the same time, there are calls for peace from Armenia, and we hear these appeals. Of course, we also want peace, but we want our lands. Until our lands are returned, there will be no peace, and the new leadership of Armenia should understand this very well," Aliyev stressed, noting that an early and stage-by-stage settlement of the conflict depends on the liberation of the occupied lands.

"If the Armenian leadership continues to engage in protracted negotiations, we will continue our isolation policy, using all means, and further weaken Armenia," Aliyev said. -02D-