President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated that no special status for Nagorno-Karabakh was acceptable for Baku.
"The status of Nagorno-Karabakh is out of the question. There is a single Azerbaijan - multinational and multiconfessional," Aliyev said during his visit on Monday to the Fizuli and Jabrail districts, which have passed under Baku's control. Shots of his trip were shown on Tuesday by the State Television of Azerbaijan.
According to Aliyev, the Armenian population of the region will be granted the same rights as other citizens of Azerbaijan. "All citizens of Azerbaijan, representing different peoples and religions, live in peace and good neighborhood. The Armenian people will also live in these conditions," the Azerbaijani leader said, adding that Baku views Karabakh Armenians as its citizens.
The situation around Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27 and active battles began on the disputed territory. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities in the region.
Baku and Yerevan have been contesting Nagorno-Karabakh's ownership since February 1988, when it announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijani SSR. During the 1992-1994 armed conflict, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS