March 1, 2006 - 13:24 AMT
Azerbaijan - Victim, Ilham Aliyev Assures
"Azerbaijan is interested in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict diplomatically but it should be ready for any development," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated. He stressed that the increase of the military budget is conditioned by this very reason. "We will never let our territories be separated and this position in unchangeable," he said. In Aliyev's words, "the non-constructivity of the Armenian party forces Azerbaijan to review its positions. The Azeri President noted that "Azerbaijan's consent to hold the talks during 12 years is the greatest concession. "The latest events prove that Armenia is dragging out the time and the negotiation process reached a deadlock. Under such conditions Azerbaijan has to reconsider its positions," he stressed. "We are the victims and this gives us the right to settle the issue by any means," the Azerbaijani leader said, reported Day.az.