Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan is currently at the stage of a political settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the country is achieving and will achieve what it wants.

On November 10, Baku and Yerevan signed a Russia-brokered agreement to end fighting and work towards a comprehensive solution.

President Aliyev made the remarks during his visit Fuzuli and Jabrayil regions, as well as Fuzuli and Jabrayil cities on 16 November. Azerbaijani First-Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva accompanied President Aliyev during the visit.

"We are currently at the stage of political settlement of the conflict. At this stage, Azerbaijan is achieving and will achieve what it wants. The military phase of the conflict is over. The liberation of Shusha and the liberation of more than 70 settlements on 9 November put an end to the military phase of the conflict," he said.

The president added that Azerbaijan proved on the battlefield a military-political solution to the conflict was possible.

Victory of tremendous historic significance

"We forced the enemy to sign an act of capitulation, and thus our occupied Aghdam, Lachin and Kalbajar districts will return to Azerbaijan in the coming days. But look at the atrocities committed by the hated enemy – they burn houses, burn schools, cut down trees, break power lines," President Aliyev said.

"The whole world can see that all the leading international channels have shown that. They have no conscience, no shame, no morality whatsoever. Therefore, the victory in the Second Karabakh War is of tremendous historic significance. This is not just a matter of liberating Azerbaijan from its occupiers. At the same time, it shows the whole world and all the occupiers that this is how they end up. This is the end of invaders and occupiers,” the head of state said.

Damages being calculated

The head of state said that all damages inflicted on Azerbaijan are being calculated.

“The damage caused by the enemy is being calculated and will be calculated accurately. All the affected people will return to their ancestral lands with state support. We will carry out this work in a planned way – first of all, the calculation of damage, accurate records, and then the reconstruction work,” he said.

No status for Nagorno-Karabakh

Aliyev once again ruled out any status for the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“We have restored our territorial integrity, expelled the occupiers from the occupied territories, prevented the establishment of a second Armenian state, and there can be no talk of any status. There is a single Azerbaijani state. There is a multiethnic, multi-confessional and progressive Azerbaijani state. All citizens of Azerbaijan, representatives of all peoples and religions live normally, in peace and harmony here. The Armenian people will live like this too. We have nothing against the Armenian people,” the president said.

To recap, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with to the Rossiya-24 channel on 17 November that under international law, Karabakh has always been an integral part of Azerbaijan and that Putin continued noting that the Collective Security Treaty Organization could not interfere in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since Armenia suffered no direct attack.

Fuzuli-Shusha highway

The president congratulated all Azerbaijanis on the construction of a new way in lands liberated from Armenian occupation.

“It is a very significant day in the life of our country today, it is a historic day. The foundation of the Fuzuli-Shusha highway is being laid today. I heartily congratulate all the people of Azerbaijan on this occasion. This road is very important because this road leads us to Shusha, the crown of Karabakh,” the president said.

He added that Azerbaijan has already started construction work.

“Eight days after the Victory Day and six days after the capitulation of Armenia, the construction of the Fuzuli-Shusha highway begins from here – from the settlement of Alkhanli. This road will be very comfortable and broad. This road will allow us the opportunity to get to Shusha and back quite comfortably,” the president said.

Aliyev said that the groundbreaking ceremony for the road had a great symbolic meaning.

“This beautiful groundbreaking ceremony today has a great symbolic meaning. We are building a new road from the liberated city of Fuzuli, from the villages before it to Fuzuli and from Fuzuli to Shusha. This road has never been here before. Azerbaijani citizens probably know that in Soviet times the road to Shusha passed through the territory of Aghdam – the Aghdam-Khankandi-Shusha road. It is not yet possible to use that route now,” he stressed.

In the meantime, President Aliyev signed an order to allocate 50 million manats for the design and construction of the 101.5km-long Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway.

Restoration of all liberated lands

President Aliyev noted that Armenia’s attempts to erase Azerbaijan’s cultural, historical and religious heritage had failed.

“They wanted to destroy and plunder everything, to erase our cultural, historical and religious heritage, but they could not achieve what they wanted. Because we had to come back, we had to return... We have driven the enemy out of our lands and raised the State Flag of Azerbaijan here. From now on, we will live in this land, as we have done for centuries, our people have lived here for centuries,” he said.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan will restore all liberated lands.

“Relevant instructions have been given, we will do everything in a planned way, we have invited international experts, and they will come. We will calculate all the damage together. After that, we will invite urban planning specialists – both Azerbaijani and foreign. They will come here and a new urban plan will be established. Restoration of villages, cities, infrastructure, environmental measures – all these plans are there. We will do it all,” he said.

Border of friendship

Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva also visited Khudafarin Bridge in Jabrayil region.

Aliyev, who himself drove the car to the area, said pointing to the areas along which he and Aliyeva passed through: “Jabrayil region. We are heading for the Khudafarin Bridge. The Khudafarin Bridge is ahead. These are the houses of Azerbaijani citizens destroyed by the savage enemy. The Araz River, the Azerbaijani-Iranian border, a border of friendship.”

Pointing to destructions along the road, Aliyev added: “Seeing this, people are further convinced that we have not only restored our territorial integrity, we have also destroyed the predatory enemy. There have been many wars in the world, and some are still going on. The occupation still continues in some places, but I do not believe anyone has ever been faced with such a cruel and inhuman enemy."

President Aliyev hoisted the glorious Azerbaijani flag on the Khudafarin Bridge. Later he and Mehriban Aliyeva walked along the banks of the Araz River and took photos in front of the Khudafarin Bridge. Then they left for Jabrayil region.

Compensation for damages

In Jabrayil, he stated that Armenia will respond for all the damages that it had inflicted on Azerbaijan over the past 30 years.

“This is the centre of Jabrayil. There is not a single safe building. They did not leave behind a single safe building. Only there they build a military unit for themselves. All other infrastructures, houses, buildings, schools, public facilities have been destroyed by the enemy. They will be held accountable for this. They will answer in international courts. I have said before but I want to say again that international organizations, experts will come here and all the damage will be calculated. The damage caused to us over 30 years will be calculated,” Aliyev said.

The president said that the damages following the acts of vandalism in Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar region committed by Armenians before their withdrawal from the region will also be assessed by international experts.

“The enemy who is destroying Kalbajar these days, cutting down forests, setting buildings and schools on fire will be held to account. They thought that the people of Azerbaijan would never return here after this destruction. They have destroyed it for that purpose. But they were wrong. We are back. Look, we are standing here, on our native land, in the city of Jabrayil. We will restore all these places,” Aliyev said.

Lack of international monitoring

Aliyev also questioned the lack of any international monitoring on Azerbaijani lands during the Armenian occupation.

“Has any international organization raised this issue in 30 years? Has any monitoring been carried out here?”

He added by restoring everything the people of Azerbaijan will show the world again its greatness.

“We will prove to the whole world that we are a great nation... No-one has given us these lands. No international organization has put pressure on the aggressor. No-one demanded that they implement UN Security Council resolutions. Their goal was simply to keep the conflict in a neither-war-nor-peace status, to keep everything in a frozen state, to perpetuate the occupation, to erase the historical heritage of our lands, to Armenianize our lands, to give our cities and villages their ugly Armenian names and erase this issue from the memory of the Azerbaijani people. But they were wrong. I have repeatedly said that we will never put up with this occupation,” Aliyev stressed.

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