BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 12
Trend:
Whether the peace agreement signed now or not, as I said, we will always increase and must build up our military capacity, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with local TV channels on January 12, 2022, Trend reports.
“The Armenian side is hesitant. Again, this shows that their official circles have not yet been able to form an opinion on this issue. On the one hand, they understand that without a peace agreement and with a strong Azerbaijan, they may have some concerns. On the other hand, they understand that if a peace agreement is signed, there must be a provision for both countries to recognize each other's territorial integrity, and they must be ready for that. You know, as they say, they are caught up between two stones. But they have to make a choice, they have to make the right choice. I have said that our benevolent behavior does not have to be eternal, and these proposals do not have to remain on the table forever. If they do not want to recognize our territorial integrity, then we will not recognize their territorial integrity,” Azerbaijani president said.
“We have perhaps a hundred times more grounds not to recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia than they have not to recognize our territorial integrity. Because everyone already knows this, and so does the world community, that in November 1920 our historical lands of Zangazur, as well as Goycha, were severed from us and annexed to Armenia. The city of Yerevan was ceded to Armenia on 29 May 1918. So there are many factors for us, as they say, not to recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia. Nevertheless, we are ready for this for the sake of future peace and the establishment of relations between the countries. But I cannot guarantee that things will be the same six months later. If they do not want it, well, then we will see what happens,” the head of state said.