Recent Azeri Bluster
ILHAM ALIYEV: AZERBAIJANI STATE AND PEOPLE WILL NEVER GRANT A STATUS TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH THAT CAN SEPARATE IT FROM AZERBAIJAN
Today.az
July 14 2010
Azerbaijan
(Karabagh related key points highlighted in second half of article)
On July 13, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made opening
remarks at a Cabinet meeting he chaired to discuss the outcomes of
the socio-economic development in the first half of 2010.
The President said Azerbaijan's economy had developed successfully
throughout six months of the current year.
"Our national economy saw considerable development in 2009 despite the
year was marked by a global financial crisis and economic regression
in many world countries. These positive tendencies have been continuing
this year, and there has been progress in all spheres of our economy."
"In the first half of 2010 our economy grew 3.5 percent. And it is a
very good figure. In general, Azerbaijan`s economy is being developed
in a diversified manner, and, as you know, developing the non-oil
sector is our priority."
On the oil and gas sector, the Azerbaijani President said: "What
we`ve achieved here is enough for us, and we need to preserve the
production rate".
"Some 25 million tons of oil and 13 billion cubic meters of gas have
been produced in the country in the first half of this year.
"If we divide our industrial potential, we`ll see that the increase
in the oil sector has been 2.4 percent while in the non-oil sector
15.3 percent."
"We`ll continue placing a particular emphasis on developing the
non-oil sector, and the fact the increase here exceeded 15 percent
proves that Azerbaijan`s economy is a diversified economy. Our goal
is developing all spheres of life in Azerbaijan through the effective
use of oil revenues, and we`ve get it done."
The President said: "Figures in other spheres of economy also show
a positive picture. Inflation was 4.9 percent, and this is a normal
figure. The population`s incomes increased 9 percent. And this shows
that despite the years 2009-2010 were marked by the global crisis,
the Azerbaijani citizens have had their incomes rise."
President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country`s achievements in
financial and investment sector.
"We`ve created large financial resources. Thanks to our successful
oil policy Azerbaijan is today expanding its financial potential. Our
currency reserves have increased from 20 to 24.7 billion dollars since
the start of the year. And this allows us to fulfill any economic task,
realize any infrastructure project by ourselves."
"...Azerbaijan will further increase its currency reserves, which
will ensure our successful economic and independent policy."
"Azerbaijan has also been a success in continuing its policy of
attracting investments. Azerbaijan has seen a continues flow of
investment, while all international financial organizations, the
world`s leading organizations, and countries have considerably cut
their spending. In general, our economy saw 3.8 billion dollars
invested in it, and a part of this comes from abroad."
"In previous years we were much more dependant on foreign investment.
And a favorable investment climate created in the country has helped
us attract investments. Azerbaijan has always been the regional leader
in terms of per capita foreign investment. But today our financial
resources, our national incomes, ensured on the basis of foreign
investment, our currency reserves and our strengthened economy allow
us to increase the investment volume year by year. Some 3 billion
out of 3.8 billion dollars is domestic investment made on the basis
of state programs and with the help of Azerbaijani companies."
"Companies representing the private sector are being strengthened. The
government has been giving necessary support to them. Public companies
are switching to a modern system. We are applying standard accounting,
auditing and management systems in public companies in Azerbaijan. We
support these processes, and our strategic aim is that all firms under
the state control operate on the level of international companies.
Their being state-owned doesn`t mean they must be controlled by the
government..."
On Azerbaijan's social policy, President Ilham Aliyev said "we attach
a special significance to solving social problems".
"All social programs are realized in time, there is no delay in their
implementation, we are working to a schedule. Average wages make
nearly 400 dollars in Azerbaijan, it is increasing year by year. The
first half of 2010 has also seen a growth in average wages. Average
pensions make around 130 dollars, and there is an increase here as
well. However, we must further increase the pensions and we`ll talk
about it today. We`ve done concrete job in every sphere of life -
hospitals, schools, sports facilities, culture centers. Beautiful and
state-of-the-art social facilities which opened in Baku and regions
in the first half of the year are a vivid evidence of it."
The President praised a State program on development of the country`s
regions.
"We can see development in every region. We are investing and realizing
socio-economic programs in all regions."
"Some 36,000 jobs have been created in Azerbaijan in the first six
months. In general, nearly 900,000 jobs have been created in the
country in the last six years, with 600,000 of them being permanent."
"Azerbaijan has made considerable achievements in decreasing
unemployment."
The Azerbaijani President highlighted the country`s military
achievements.
"We took very important steps in the military industry sphere in 2009.
We`ve been strengthening our military potential. Recently we`ve made
certain changes to our budget, which now makes 15 billion. We allocated
additional 500 million for military spending. And this is part of our
single-minded policy. In our case, we must focus, first and foremost,
on strengthening the country`s military potential, and we are doing
it. Azerbaijan`s military spending is today 2 billion 150 million
dollars, which is more than the total budget of Armenia. And we`ve
achieved the goal that we set for ourselves a few years ago.
This allows us to modernize our army and purchase state-of-the-art
weapons and military equipment."
"Our military power can play a decisive role in the settlement of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, we don`t
want that this to happen. We want the issue to be solved through
negotiations, trough diplomatic means. But military power will
strengthen our position."
"I have expressed my views on the settlement of the conflict during
my recent meeting with the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh."
"The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be solved on the basis of the
will of the Azerbaijani people."
"I want to reiterate that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has
never been and will never be a topic of discussions. And what the
mediators propose is that Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity must be
restored, the Armenian aggressors must withdraw from all the occupied
territories, and Azerbaijanis - internally displaces persons - must
return - and they will return - to their native lands, including
Nagorno-Karabakh."
"And as far as Nagorno-Karabakh`s future status is concerned, no
status can be given to Nagorno-Karabakh without the consent of the
Azerbaijani state. It is an integral part of the talks. It means that
neither Armenia nor the separatists of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh
nor any third force can give a status to Nagorno-Karabakh without
Azerbaijan`s participation and consent. And this is the essence of
the negotiations. And this is why the Armenians` saying that the day
will come when Nagorno-Karabakh will be independent is nothing but
their illusion, nothing but their wish, nothing but their dream. The
documents on the table clearly show everything related to the status
of Nagorno-Karabakh and to how it should be defined."
"The Azerbaijani state and the people of Azerbaijan will never grant a
status to Nagorno-Karabakh that can separate it from Azerbaijan. And
the negotiations contain no mechanism related to Nagorno-Karabakh's
separation from Azerbaijan, and they can never contain such a
mechanism."
"We must be ready to liberate our occupied lands at any time. And,
I`m completely confident, that Azerbaijan is today capable of doing it.
We`ve considerably increased our military power."
"In Armenia, some believe that they have won the first stage of the
war. But I think they have lost. Azerbaijan has gone through a big
and successful path during the ceasefire period. Azerbaijan is today
held in great respect on the international level, and we are playing
a decisive role in the region."
"Azerbaijan must make it to the rank of the developed countries in
terms of the economic progress, and this is our goal. We are a modern
country. This is why the first stage of the war decides nothing. It
only proves that the people of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani state
will never accept this situation and restore, by any means, their
territorial integrity."
Today.az
July 14 2010
Azerbaijan
Apparently, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian deliberately misleads
his own audience, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Elkhan
Polukhov said.
He was commenting on Armenian FM Edward Nalbdanian's statement on
possible ministerial meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the
sidelines of the OSCE Foreign Ministers' Council informal meeting to
take place in Almaty on July 16-17.
"If such meeting takes place, first and foremost, it should be
clarified whether Azerbaijan is ready to continue talks based on
latest version of the Madrid Principles presented in St. Petersburg
about which high-level decision was reached in St. Petersburg,"
Armenian FM said.
Polukhov said Nalbanidan, apparently, has unilaterally changed
the format of negotiations to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"It should be noted that the negotiations are held by the parties to
the conflict - Armenia and Azerbaijan - through the mediation of the
Minsk Group co-chairing countries - the U.S., France and Russia. The
parties to the conflict were presented with with the document prepared
by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group which contains updated Madrid
principles aimed at resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in
Athens in December 2009 with participation of heads of delegations
of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries - Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and U.S.
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, while only Russian side
was present at the St. Petersburg meeting and France and the United
States were absent," Polukhov stressed.
"On the backdrop of the recent statement by the presidents of the
OSCE Minsk Groupco-chair countries issued in Canada, the Armenian
leadership would better prepare its public for inevitable withdrawal
of Armenian armed forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories and
for future co-existence of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity instead
of engaging in useless rhetoric and trying to mislead its audience,"
Polukhov added.
"Apparently, someone wants to pull the Armenian side from the
predicament in which it has now ended up in the table of negotiations,"
Polukhov said.
news.az
July 14 2010
Azerbaijan
The European court will consider the appeal of Azerbaijani displaced
persons from Lachin against Armenia in September.
The preliminary stage of the court process is nearing completion.
According to plenipotentiary representative of Azerbaijan in the
European Court of Human Rights Chingiz Asgarov told reporters that
an open court session with participation of displaced persons from
Lachin and representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides will
be held at the Grand Chamber of the European Court in September.
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