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RECONSTRUCTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO COST AZERBAIJAN OVER USD 28
ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 17, 2011 Monday 09:05 PM EST
Reconstruction in Nagorno-Karabakh will cost Azerbaijan 28.4 billion
U.S. dollars, according to a book presented in Moscow on Monday,
October 17.
The book titled "Basic Principles for the Rehabilitation of
Azerbaijan's Post-Conflict Territories" is available in Russian,
Azerbaijan and English.
One of the authors, Eldar Ismailov, Director of the Institute of
Strategic Studies for the Caucasus, said, "The armed conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh caused economic damage to Azerbaijan in the amount
of 60 billion U.S. dollars".
Farkhad Mamedov of the presidential administration, "it will take
decades to fully rebuild the territories".
"In 2011, expectations for the speediest resolution of the conflict
have become particularly pronounced," Mamedov said. But negotiations
"have failed to move on to the implementation stage and no long-awaited
change of the status quo has occurred", he regretted.
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev believes the time has come to
change the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and return
refugees and forced migrants to the places of their permanent
residence.
"Living on one's own land is a fundamental right of people, of which
they have been deprived for years by the Armenian armed forces,"
Aliyev said earlier.
He stressed that incidents on the line of engagement "seriously
reduce mutual trust and can create a situation will unpredictable
consequences."
"The conflict can be resolved on the basis of rules and principles
of international law. The current format of the talks can lead to a
peaceful settlement," the Azerbaijani president said
He believes that the questions now under discussion can lead to
a restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and return of
refugees and forced migrants to their homes.
"At the same time, we can give Nagorno-Karabakh the status of
self-government, strong political guarantees and security guarantees,"
he said.
Aliyev said this formula is being discussed at the talks and Azerbaijan
is ready to continue them in this format.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan, as before, will remain committed to peace talks, hoping
that they will bear fruit," Aliyev said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan "is ready to continue the talks and finish
them as soon as possible and reach such a result that will be based
on the rules and principles of international law, within the framework
of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity."
Aliyev stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the initial process
to become open-ended and endless."
"We are engaged in negotiations in order to get our land freed. We
are conducting them in order to restore the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan recognised by the international community," he said.
The president expressed hope that the entities and mediators dealing
with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would "have their categorical say".
"The time has long been ripe for that. Otherwise, these negotiations
will be completely senseless. Negotiations are conducted for a result,
not for its semblance," Aliyev said.
He said, "The Karabakh conflict is a real threat to the region."
The head of state called for a speedy and fair settlement in Karabakh
on the basis of international law. "We understand that major states
want the region to live in peace and stability, without war. We want
that too. But this does not mean that the conflict should remain
frozen," he said.
Aliyev said he was hoping "positive tendencies" in the negotiations.
The president said earlier that the Karabakh talks were in "a crucial
stage."
"Negotiations over the past five to six years have led to the drafting
of proposals on the settlement, which were officially presented to
the parties to the conflict by international mediators - co-chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group. These proposals are balanced and can lead
to a peaceful settlement of the problem within the framework of
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," Aliyev said.
The mediators' proposals call for "freeing the occupied Azerbaijani
territories, returning refugees to their homeland, deploying
peacekeeping troops in the region for security reasons, and opening
a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," Aliyev said.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was
"a matter of the future."
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began on February 22, 1988. On November
29, 1989 direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan
regained control of the region. However later a joint session of the
Armenian parliament and the top legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh
proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
On December 10, 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum,
boycotted by local Azeris, that approved the creation of an independent
state.
The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and
Azerbaijan obtained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By
the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and
created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. An unofficial
ceasefire was reached on May 12, 1994.
As of August 2008, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group were
attempting to negotiate a full settlement of the conflict. On August
2, 2008, Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan travelled to
Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. As a result,
the three presidents signed an agreement that calls for talks on a
political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
From: Baghdasarian
ITAR-TASS, Russia
October 17, 2011 Monday 09:05 PM EST
Reconstruction in Nagorno-Karabakh will cost Azerbaijan 28.4 billion
U.S. dollars, according to a book presented in Moscow on Monday,
October 17.
The book titled "Basic Principles for the Rehabilitation of
Azerbaijan's Post-Conflict Territories" is available in Russian,
Azerbaijan and English.
One of the authors, Eldar Ismailov, Director of the Institute of
Strategic Studies for the Caucasus, said, "The armed conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh caused economic damage to Azerbaijan in the amount
of 60 billion U.S. dollars".
Farkhad Mamedov of the presidential administration, "it will take
decades to fully rebuild the territories".
"In 2011, expectations for the speediest resolution of the conflict
have become particularly pronounced," Mamedov said. But negotiations
"have failed to move on to the implementation stage and no long-awaited
change of the status quo has occurred", he regretted.
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev believes the time has come to
change the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and return
refugees and forced migrants to the places of their permanent
residence.
"Living on one's own land is a fundamental right of people, of which
they have been deprived for years by the Armenian armed forces,"
Aliyev said earlier.
He stressed that incidents on the line of engagement "seriously
reduce mutual trust and can create a situation will unpredictable
consequences."
"The conflict can be resolved on the basis of rules and principles
of international law. The current format of the talks can lead to a
peaceful settlement," the Azerbaijani president said
He believes that the questions now under discussion can lead to
a restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and return of
refugees and forced migrants to their homes.
"At the same time, we can give Nagorno-Karabakh the status of
self-government, strong political guarantees and security guarantees,"
he said.
Aliyev said this formula is being discussed at the talks and Azerbaijan
is ready to continue them in this format.
Aliyev urged Armenia to continue peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan, as before, will remain committed to peace talks, hoping
that they will bear fruit," Aliyev said.
He stressed that Azerbaijan "is ready to continue the talks and finish
them as soon as possible and reach such a result that will be based
on the rules and principles of international law, within the framework
of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity."
Aliyev stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the initial process
to become open-ended and endless."
"We are engaged in negotiations in order to get our land freed. We
are conducting them in order to restore the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan recognised by the international community," he said.
The president expressed hope that the entities and mediators dealing
with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would "have their categorical say".
"The time has long been ripe for that. Otherwise, these negotiations
will be completely senseless. Negotiations are conducted for a result,
not for its semblance," Aliyev said.
He said, "The Karabakh conflict is a real threat to the region."
The head of state called for a speedy and fair settlement in Karabakh
on the basis of international law. "We understand that major states
want the region to live in peace and stability, without war. We want
that too. But this does not mean that the conflict should remain
frozen," he said.
Aliyev said he was hoping "positive tendencies" in the negotiations.
The president said earlier that the Karabakh talks were in "a crucial
stage."
"Negotiations over the past five to six years have led to the drafting
of proposals on the settlement, which were officially presented to
the parties to the conflict by international mediators - co-chairmen
of the OSCE Minsk Group. These proposals are balanced and can lead
to a peaceful settlement of the problem within the framework of
Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," Aliyev said.
The mediators' proposals call for "freeing the occupied Azerbaijani
territories, returning refugees to their homeland, deploying
peacekeeping troops in the region for security reasons, and opening
a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," Aliyev said.
Speaking of the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said it was
"a matter of the future."
"We have said many times that we will never agree to any status for
Nagorno-Karabakh outside Azerbaijan, and international law supports
our positions," the president said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began on February 22, 1988. On November
29, 1989 direct rule in Nagorno-Karabakh was ended and Azerbaijan
regained control of the region. However later a joint session of the
Armenian parliament and the top legislative body of Nagorno-Karabakh
proclaimed the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
On December 10, 1991, Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh held a referendum,
boycotted by local Azeris, that approved the creation of an independent
state.
The struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after both Armenia and
Azerbaijan obtained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By
the end of 1993, the conflict had caused thousands of casualties and
created hundreds of thousands of refugees on both sides. An unofficial
ceasefire was reached on May 12, 1994.
As of August 2008, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group were
attempting to negotiate a full settlement of the conflict. On August
2, 2008, Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan travelled to
Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. As a result,
the three presidents signed an agreement that calls for talks on a
political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
From: Baghdasarian