“The Republic of Karabagh will never be independent or join Armenia. The Armenians living in Karabagh can enjoy the fruits of autonomy under the control of Azerbaijan,” said Ilham Aliyev according to “Regnum” news agency. Aliyev had emphasized that Azerbaijan’s decision was dependent on international norms; meanwhile “Armenia’s orientation completely contradicts international laws.” He also stated that Azerbaijan has enough potential to solve its issues with Armenia on its own. “At the present, I am making additions to Azerbaijan’s military budget. I had announced that our military expenses had to be equivalent to the entire budget of Armenia and we will achieve that. We have to be strong. If we are strong, we can solve any problem,” said the Azeri president. In Aliyev’s words, Armenia will not participate in any large regional energetic or transportation project as long as its armed forces remain on Azeri land.
