ILHAM ALIYEV COUNTS ON KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT WITHIN NEXT FEW YEARSSeptember 11, 2003 - 19:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Candidate for the Azeri president, primer minister Ilham Aliyev counts on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the next few years, otherwise, in his words, Baku will lose patience. "Baku can agree to a peace treaty with Yerevan only based on the principles of restoration of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, withdrawal of Armenian Armed Forces from Azeri territories and return of refugees to their native lands," - he stated in his electoral speech aired by local television. In the words of Aliyev Jr., the Azeri party has lost hope that the OSCE Minsk Group "from now on acting more actively will be able to play its role in the conflict solution." At that he noted that the cease-fire regime between the parties to conflict had promoted "much progress" in Azerbaijan, "Novosti" Russian agency reports. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia recalls Belarus envoy for consultations Armenian Ambassador to Belarus has been called to Yerevan for consultations, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry reveals. Armenia denies Azerbaijan's ceasefire accusations The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied Azerbaijan's accusations of violating the ceasefire. Armenia will leave Russian-led military bloc, says Pashinyan Armenia will leave the Russian-led Collective Security Organization, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, without giving any dates. EU encourages Armenia to prioritize strategic projects The EU has encouraged Armenia to prioritize strategic projects, according to a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry. |