2 Nov 2017 17:53

Karabakh status quo unacceptable, Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must be restored - Aliyev

BAKU. Nov 2 (Interfax) - The status quo on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unacceptable, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan needs to be restored, President Ilham Aliyev said.

"The assertion of the norms of international law in the world today is one of the main issues on the agenda. Unfortunately, in many situations these norms don't work and are violated flagrantly. The Azerbaijani-Armenian, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a fine example of that," Aliyev said at a trilateral summit attended by the presidents of Russia and Iran.

Double standards are now used in global politics, Aliyev said. "In some situations, UN Security Council resolutions are implemented immediately. Resolutions adopted on the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have remained on paper for over 20 years. This is an indicator of double standards. The current status quo is unacceptable and should be changed. Our refugees and re-settled people should return to the land of their ancestors, and the territorial integrity of our country must be restored," the president said.

The president said Azerbaijan is successfully working with Iran and Russia in international organizations. "I would like to mention our joint work with Iran in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and with Russia in the CIS, the OSCE, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. We are also actively working together in the UN," he said.

He said he believes the trilateral format plays an important role in the resolution of many issues.

"Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that borders both Iran and Russia. The geographic location of our countries is an important factor of our cooperation. And the historical relations between our peoples constitute a solid foundation for partnership between the three countries," Aliyev said.