Aliyev on the preparation of the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020
Aliyev on the preparation of the tripartite statement
“On November 9, 2020, as a result of many hours of telephone conversations with the President of Russia during that day, we managed to return the city of Lachin to Azerbaijan,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, also mentioning the decision to build an alternative road to the Lachin corridor.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev today received Massim Mammadov in connection with his appointment as special representative of the President in the Lachin region. Aliyev spoke at the reception.
During his speech, Aliyev for the first time shared details of preparations for the signing of the tripartite statement on November 10, 2020 which put an end to the second Karabakh war. The document was signed by the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia.
Many hours of telephone conversations with Putin
“Despite the fact that at the end of the second Karabakh war this region (Lachin) came under our control, the city of Lachin remained out of our control. There were objective reasons for that. The road from Armenia to Karabakh passed through the center of the city of Lachin.
On November 9, 2020, as a result of many hours of telephone conversations with the President of Russia during the day, we managed to return the city of Lachin to Azerbaijan. For this, at my insistence, the construction of an alternative road was included in the final statement and the deadline was set.
However, in somewhat vague terms, it was indicated that the discussion of this issue would be conducted for three years,” Aliyev said in his speech.
“A new road was built around the city of Lachin”
“But as soon as the second Karabakh war ended, I immediately ordered to determine the route and all the technical parameters of the new road. We soon began this work and completed it in a year and a half. That is, a new road was built around the city of Lachin and it was ready for operation in early August last year, or rather on August 2.
We conveyed a message to the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces that they should remove their posts from the old route and move to the new road, and by August 5 we would enter the city of Lachin, the villages of Zabukh and Sus.
The Karabakh Armenians, who contacted our representatives at that time, asked to give them time, saying before August 25 we will resolve these issues ourselves, we will evict the illegally residing Armenians from the city of Lachin, the villages of Zabukh and Sus, and thus the issue will be closed.
I didn’t object to that, meaning 20 days doesn’t make that much of a difference. Thus, as a result of the work carried out on August 25, all Armenians who illegally lived in the city of Lachin, the villages of Zabukh and Sus were evicted thence.
On August 26 we reacquired the villages of Zabukh and Sus, and the city of Lachin. After that, I visited the city of Lachin, raised the Azerbaijani flag in the center of the city and declared that from now on we will live forever in this native land of ours,” the President of Azerbaijan said.
“No one can speak to us in the language of ultimatums”
In his speech, Aliyev also mentioned the role of international mediators in the resolution of the Karabakh problem, in particular the OSCE Minsk Group:
“I should especially note that over the years of negotiations, the mediators have always shown some kind of special approach to the Lachin region, and Armenia as a whole considered the return of the Lachin region to Azerbaijan unacceptable. Although they were not going to leave other areas.
Now, two and a half years after the war, this has become more obvious to everyone.
The international mediators, the former OSCE Minsk Group, while negotiating, actually tried to consolidate this occupation. Now everything has become clear – this unfair and negative attitude of France towards Azerbaijan is not accidental.”
Aliyev concluded by appealing to Azerbaijan’s resolute attitude toward solving issues:
“During these two and a half years, the whole world saw everything again. At the same time, the anti-Azerbaijani forces saw our unbending will. No one can influence our will. No one can speak to us in the language of ultimatums. We proved it to Armenia in the second Karabakh war, we proved it to the patrons of Armenia for two and a half years after the war. We defeated them and once again showed the whole world that we are achieving and will achieve what we want.”
