Azerbaijani President Says His Country Won't Give Up Its Territories Just For Compromise

ISTANBUL - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday that his country would not give up its territories just for a compromise on Upper Karabakh, which was under Armenian occupation.
Aliyev delivered a speech at a panel discussion held as a part of the conference ''NATO At a New Crossroads'' jointly organized by Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and U.S. think-tank organization German Marshall Fund.
His country would never accept Armenia's theses that Upper Karabakh should be independent or be under its control, Aliyev said.
Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan would neither give up its territories under Armenian occupation nor make any concessions of its territorial integrity.
The matter should be discussed at the NATO summit to help other countries understand the issue better, Aliyev said.
Aliyev added that Azerbaijan would be one of the first countries extending support to international community's policy towards Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in case there was a change in that policy.
Azerbaijani President Aliyev came to Istanbul earlier on Saturday.
(BRC) 27.06.2004