BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 4. The
Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later
called the “Iron Fist”, on September 27, 2020, in response to the
large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the
frontline.
The erupted 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the
liberation of Azerbaijan’s territories from nearly 30-year Armenian
occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was
interviewed by the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.
-Mr. President, are you already tasting the flavor of
the victory?
-Our task was to restore territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,
and we are coming closer to this task. We have been waiting for
restoration of the territorial integrity for almost 30 years. As
you know, during all this time Azerbaijan was strictly committed to
negotiation process. But unfortunately, it did not result in any
tangible outcome. Plus, Armenian leadership during last couple of
years was always provoking us by the statements, and by actions,
including military provocations. So the last one took place on the
27th of September. We had to respond and our response was very
sensitive to Armenia. So, when we talk about the victory we did not
put in front of us such a target. We wanted to resolve it at the
negotiation table. But we were always ready to do it on the
battlefield what we are doing.
-Putin is not willing to intervene. So, you can act
without obstacles.
-Actually, I on many occasions commented the situation that
co-chairs of the Minsk Group, 3 countries which are at the same
time permanent members of the Security Council of United Nations,
adopted resolutions back in 1993 which demanded immediate and
complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the
Azerbaijani territories. Therefore, these countries themselves
created the legal base for the settlement. But Armenia did not
implement these resolutions. Another point, which I was referring
to is that mediators must be neutral, no matter how they feel about
situation. How close their relations are with us, or with Armenia,
but if they are not neutral they cannot be mediators. Therefore,
the neutrality now which we more or less see on the ground I think
is the only way how the things can happen. Therefore, it was not a
kind of a green light for us. We responded to Armenian attack on
the 27th of September without any 100% understanding who will do
what. We just did what we thought was right to defend our country,
to defend our people, and to restore justice.
-How useful is the Ankara support to your
action?
-It is very useful. This support came from the very beginning,
from the early hours of the clashes which started on the 27th of
September. President of Turkey made a very clear statement that
Turkey stands side by side with Azerbaijan. That was a very
important sign of political and moral support, and I many times
referred to the fact that this is only political and moral support,
but it was sufficient. Because such a strong country as Turkey when
openly declares its position on this issue, it also sends the
signal to the whole world, that Azerbaijan is doing the right
thing. Azerbaijan is restoring it’s territorial integrity,
Azerbaijan is fighting on its territory. We are not aggressors, we
are not attacking other countries. Therefore, this political
support which started in the early hours of the clashes and
continues up to now is very important for the conflict
resolution.
-What can you say about the jihadists’ presence that
president Macron, Russian foreign minister denounced that they are
fighting against Armenia with your army. Is it true?
-On many occasions I already during this time, more than one
month, referred to this issue and said that this is not true. This
is not correct information. I don’t know why this information was
circulated, and still is circulated. First, we haven’t been
provided with any evidence, any proof about that. All were words,
and those words were articulated in the early days of the conflict.
And you referred to President Macron’s statement about that. That
was only in the first days of the conflict. Since that time, we
didn’t hear these kind of statements. So this is first. No proofs
no evidence. Second, no need. Many times I said we have an army of
a 100 thousand fighters, a regular army. We can mobilize several
times more if we announce the total mobilization. We have modern
weapons. We have a sophisticated technology. And we have a very
high moral spirit. Therefore, there is no need for that. But
unfortunately, what happens on the other side is being ignored. We
already have enough evidences about foreigners fighting on Armenian
side. They say they are native Armenians but first, it does not
make any difference, because if foreign citizen is fighting against
one country against another, it is a mercenary. Then, we do not
have a 100% evidence that all of them are Armenians. We know that
there are others. We know that PKK is there, we know that some
terrorists from the Middle East joined the so-called “army of
Nagorno-Karabakh”. Therefore, unfortunately, this issue is
absolutely out of picture. So, it creates an impression of a
deliberate political attack on Azerbaijan. Plus, why Armenians are
also exploiting this false statement, because for them probably it
is very painful to admit that we beat them on the battlefield. For
30 years, they have been pretending that they have an unbeatable
army. For 30 years they were telling that they on their own
occupied our territories. Though, we know that it was wrong. So, we
proved them who is who. We proved that their so-called “unbeatable
army” is a legend, is a mythology. And for them to admit it is very
painful. But they have already admitted their defeat. Prime
minister Pashinyan sent a letter to President Putin asking for a
military help. This is an admitting of their military defeat and
our victory.
-What will be the difficulty for you to manage a
possible victory, in the territory which populated by 98% of
Armenian people?
-This territory was populated with maybe higher now. It was
higher. Because all Azerbaijanis have been expelled. They committed
ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis. It’s a statistics, soviet
statistics, not our statistics. How many people of different
nationalities lived in Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous district in the
end of 1970s? Almost 25% of the population there were Azerbaijanis.
40 thousand people. Shusha was 98% percent inhabited by
Azerbaijanis. Today, there is no one. In Khankandi, there have been
many Azerbaijanis. In Hadrut district, in other districts. Khojaly,
which they committed a genocide, was 100% Azerbaijanis. So, they
have been all ethnically cleansed, killed, tortured and expelled.
And unfortunately, no one, no one accused Armenia of that. We did
not see any sanctions on Armenia. We did not see any serious
information supporting us. So, that was done and they created
reality on the ground. This is the first thing. Second thing, 200
years ago, there were no Armenians at all there. Because I many
times referred to the treaties which Karabakh khan signed with
Russian empire. That Kurakchay treaty of 1805, nothing is said
about ethnic Armenians there.
Ethnic Armenians were brought to that region from eastern
Anatolia and Persia, by Tsarist Russia in order to change religious
and ethnic composition of the region. So, this is historical part.
Now coming to your question. I many times said that all those who
live in Nagorno-Karabakh will continue to live there in peace and
dignity. Armenians are our citizens. There are thousands of
Armenians who live in different parts of Azerbaijan, primarily in
Baku, and those Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh can be sure
that their security will be provided, their financial situation
will be much better. And they will live much better life than today
under this suppression of the junta regime in Nagorno-Karabakh.
-Three ceasefires as already were broken. The peace
talks seem not to get any result. Who is to blame for?
-Armenia. Look at their chronology. First, ceasefire was agreed
in Moscow. In less than 24 hours they attacked Ganja with ballistic
missiles from the territory of Armenia. It is proven. Russia,
France and United States and many other countries can detect the
launch of ballistic missiles. So, they know, it was launched from
Armenia, and Pashinyan was lying when he said that it was not them.
So, that was in less than 24 hours. They attacked at night, in a
very mean way. They attacked deliberately the residential
settlement. And as a result of two attacks almost 30 people,
innocent people, including children were killed. The second
ceasefire was violated by them after five minutes of the
announcement of that. And the third ceasefire they violated
attacking Barda. So, it was not us. What were we supposed to do?
Sit and wait when they are killing us? Of course, we respond and
will continue to do it. They needed ceasefire in order to continue
their aggression, in order to try to regain and occupy again the
territories which we have liberated. And also they wanted to create
a chaos, panic in Azerbaijan by attacking civilians but they
miscalculated the spirit of Azerbaijani people. Yes, we suffer from
these mean attacks. We have 91 civilians so far killed, and more
than 400 wounded. But this did not break our will, on the contrary,
it makes us even stronger.
-What would you answer to premier Pashinyan that I met 3
weeks ago? He said that you’re here for a new genocide in
Nagorno-Karabakh.
-Absolutely false. All their history is false. There is no signs
of that. You know, as I said, there are thousands of Armenians
living in Azerbaijan. There are no Azerbaijanis living in Armenia
or in Nagorno-Karabakh. 99% of Armenian population are ethnic
Armenians. Can you find any other country in our region where such
a full domination of one nationality? It is a mono-ethnic republic.
Why? Because either they expel everybody, or other nationalities
cannot live there. Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional
country. Therefore, talking about the so-called genocide is
absolutely unacceptable and this is another fake which they want to
present as they always do. They always want to present themselves
as the people who always suffering, always crying always needing
help. And today look, he calls President Putin 5 times a day. He
calls President Macron maybe less, but still. He calls everyone. He
calls European leaders. He asks for recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh
not understanding that there is a unified position of European
Union on territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Therefore, he tries
to use every fake method in order to get some support. Therefore,
it is absolutely wrong. And as I said, and I am responsible for
what I am saying, those Armenians who live in Nagorno-Karabakh can
be sure that their security will be provided.
-With Italy you have a special partnership, you are our
first provider of oil and gas. Are you afraid that if the war get
bloodier and bloodier that partnership could be affected or
not?
-I don’t think so. First, I think that the sooner the war stops
the better. And we made such a suggestion. And our proposal was
very constructive. I said many times during this more than one
month, I can repeat once again. We are ready to stop today. If
Armenian prime minister makes a committment that they will liberate
the remaining part of the territories. He has not made this
committment so far. When asked about compromises, he always talks
about a self-determination. But self-determination is not the
compromise they have to do. Their compromise must be liberation of
all occupied territories with respect to the implementation of UN
Security Council resolutions, and the basic principles. Because
basic principles say that five regions and then two. So, four are
already done by us unilaterally. Therefore, he must say that he
will pull back the troops from remaining part of Aghdam and
Kalbajar and Lachin districts. But he doesn’t make this statement.
So it shows that he doesn’t want the war to stop. We are ready.
This is first. Second, I don’t think that it will create any
complications with respect to our relations with our partners. With
Italy we have a special relations. We have signed a document which
is called a Strategic Partnership document. And just before the
pandemic I paid an official visit to Italy which was very
successful and with very big plans I returned back home. I am sure
we will implement those plans though pandemic interfered a little
bit. But it is mainly non-related to energy sector. On energy
track, we did I think all what we planned today. I think Italy for
us is a major trading partner, because of oil supplies. And also
soon we will celebrate the inauguration of TAP. Thus, Southern Gas
Corridor will be completed. Plus, many Italian companies work in
Azerbaijan successfully for many years. We are planning to invite
more Italian companies as contractors. By the way, they have
completed such important projects as petrochemicals here and
together with President Mattarella we have been at the opening
ceremony. Therefore, I am sure that this conflict will influence
our relations neither with Italy nor with any other country. So, I
am sure about that.
