Intervention by Representative of Azerbaijan
in the exercise of Right of Reply
58 UNGA General Debate
25 September 2003
New York

Thank you, Mr. President

I am taking the floor in the exercise of the Rule 73 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly.

Mr. President,

Azerbaijan regrets very much that this high rostrum has been again abused today by Armenia to disseminate false information designed to justify its immoral and repugnant state policy of gross violation of international law.

Armenia continues to challenge international community and this august Assembly by continuing its illegal occupation of Nagorno Karabakh and 7 other adjacent regions of Azerbaijan. It continues to ignore the will of the international community clearly reflected in the four well-known resolutions of the Security Council, unequivocally demanding the immediate, unconditional and complete withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Today, when we all speak on the need to make our universal organization a better and more efficient tool for preserving international peace and security, we have to think seriously on how to make sure that aggressor states like Armenia are brought to justice.

Armenian Minister engaged in entertaining the audience by poorly concocted myths with reference to our country. I will not take much of your time and will not go into the anthology of Armenian myths, but will name just a few:

Myth number one is about the idea that Nagorno Karabakh reached its longtime dream of becoming an independent state.

Everyone sitting in this hall and knowing a bit of the history of the Caucasus will agree that NK has never ever been either independent or affiliated with Armenia. It has always been and will. continue to be an integral part of Azerbaijan as the historical center of its political life, culture, art and science.

Myth number two deals with the so-called blockade to which "longsuffering" poor Armenia is subjected by its neighbors.

Can we talk about blockade in a situation when a country has unimpeded access to the outside world via several states around and cannot enjoy economic relations with one state whose territories it has occupied and whose population it has brutally murdered in the period since 1987?

I will mention only one such instance, when in March of 1992 Armenian aggressors organized and carried a massacre of 1000 innocent civilian Azerbaijanis in Khojaly town of Nagorno Karabakh.

Is it not the Azerbaijani territory of Nakhchivan that has been subjected to blockade by Armenia only because it is populated by Azerbaijanis?

Myth number three has to do with the so-called "Key West arrangement" referred to by Armenian minister in his speech.

Indeed, the population of Key West, this small quiet town in Florida should be greatly thankful to Armenia for such an exceptional deal of advertisement and for an attempt to include it in the recent political vocabulary. As a matter of fact, what is described by Armenia as a breakthrough, has been nothing else than the desire of Azerbaijan to continue with the more than 10 year-old practice of negotiation process on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that is aimed at producing a solution based on norms and principles of international law.

Next myth widely popular in Armenia is that it has won the war, annexed Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied territories and will happily live with this status quo for as long as it wants. Let me assure you all, that Azerbaijan will spare no effort to restore the justice and its sovereignty within the borders recognized by international community.

Not a single inch of our land will be yielded to the aggressor. I appreciate the fact that Armenia realizes this very well itself and special attention devoted by Minister Oskanian to this. aspect in his address proves that aggressor is indeed worried with the evolving situation and possible prospects of the not so distant future.

If anything, by occupying Azerbaijani territories Armenia gained the deep sense of apprehension and fear that it has swallowed too big a piece to match its throat.

As to the remark on the oil revenues to be spent allegedly by Azerbaijan to buy arms, because of such an unfortunate neighbor as Armenia, the Government of Azerbaijan has to spend huge amounts of money, most recently 70 mln USD, to alleviate the suffering of the refugees and IDPs, ousted by the Armenian aggressor from their homes. Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev yesterday pointed this out in his address.

In conclusion, Mr. President, let me appeal through you to the self-proclaimed Caucasian Tiger to get down to Earth and realize that it is in its very interest to forget the myths, to open its eyes and abide by the letter and spirit of the founding act of this house - Charter of the United Nations. We're not in jungle, after all.

Thank you, Mr. President.