Deputy PM: Azerbaijan to restore its territorial integrity

No one should doubt that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity, and the prolongation of negotiations by the Armenian side on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be a reason to doubt this, deputy prime minister, Deputy Chairman - Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Ali Ahmadov said, Trend reports Sept. 9.

Ahmadov noted that he visited one of the military units.

"Once again I felt proud for our army, our military personnel,” he said. "These are real heroes! Azerbaijan can be proud that it has such an army, such heroic sons!”

Ahmadov added that the Armenians are well aware of the power of the Azerbaijani army.

"That's why they organize various political shows, trying to hide their weaknesses,” he said. "It’s a shame for those opposition representatives living abroad who, instead of being proud of the Azerbaijani army, favor with Armenia and its president.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.