Ilham Aliyev: respect for international law, sovereignty, territorial integrity are important conditions for regional stability

Respect for international law, sovereignty, territorial integrity are important conditions for regional stability, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said at the 7th Ministerial Conference, titled 'Security and Economic Connectivity towards a Strengthened Heart of Asia Region', which was held as part of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process in Baku.

The President said that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory is under occupation, and Armenia conducted the policy of ethnic cleansing in those lands, the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reported.

Ilham Aliyev recalled that the OSCE has twice sent fact-finding and assessment missions to the occupied territories.“Our settlements and mosques were destroyed by Armenia,” President Aliyev said.

He stressed that the status quo in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unacceptable. “This is stated not only by Azerbaijan, but also by the OSCE Minsk group co-chair countries,” the President added.

According to President of Azerbaijan, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law, relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The President also said that ensuring security in Afghanistan will, on the whole, serve security in the region.  

"We must respond to the security challenges Afghanistan is faced with. Azerbaijan is ready to share its experience with Afghanistan on a bilateral level. We support Afghanistan through our armed forces and trainings,” the head of state added.

He said that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) and the North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC) projects will provide access for Afghanistan to enter the world market and the Afghan goods will reach the European markets via a shorter way.