Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the opening of a residential building for disabled veterans of the Karabakh war and martyr families in Sumgayit

It is indeed a very important day today. Beautiful new homes for the veterans and martyr families have been built in various parts of our country, you will be provided with apartments and cars. Today you will receive 411 apartments. New houses have been built and will be commissioned today in Sumgayit, in the Zabrat and Hovsan settlements of Baku, in Ganja, Shaki and Shamkir.

It really is a great and beautiful event. At the end of the year, we are providing our fellow countrymen with new and beautiful apartments. In recent years, martyr families and disabled veterans of the Karabakh war have been provided with about 5,000 apartments. But there are still people on the waiting list. More than 2,000 families are still on the waiting list. Their housing problems will be resolved within three to four years. So in three to four years we will complete this program.

I can say that the provision of these apartments and the construction of buildings is a unique event. As far as I know, Azerbaijan is the only country of the former Soviet Union to carry out such a strong social policy in this area. As for the provision of cars, such initiatives are not made anywhere else. To date, more than 3,500 of our citizens have received free cars from the state.

Azerbaijan will continue its policy in this area. Our strong social policy manifests itself in all areas. The salaries and pensions growing every year, the increasing volume of social assistance and the repayment of compensations for the deposits in Soviet banks this year – all of this shows how strong our social policy is. At the same time, the provision of apartments to the families of those who died for our country and lands, to our compatriots who have lost their health shows how correct our state policy is.

We will continue to do everything possible to solve daily problems of our compatriots who need and deserve great respect and evaluation. You deserve this, you have lost your loved ones, your health. For many years, the Azerbaijanis have been subjected to a policy of genocide. Three countries have already recognized the Khojaly genocide as an act of genocide. I am sure that the number of these countries will gradually grow. Azerbaijan's fair cause is confirmed by the resolutions and decisions of international organizations. There are four UN Security Council resolutions, decisions and resolutions of other international organizations, demanding a withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from our land. But Armenia flouts international law and our lands remain under occupation. Azerbaijan’s principled position on the issue is the same and will always remain unchanged. Our stance is based on historical justice and international law.

The historical truth is that Nagorno-Karabakh is our native and ancestral lands. For centuries, the people of Azerbaijan had lived and worked on this land. The present-day Armenia emerged on historical Azerbaijani lands. This is a historical document: in 1918, one of the first decisions of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the transfer of Erivan to Armenia as its capital. I have repeatedly expressed my thoughts about that decision. And today I want to say that it was a big mistake, a grave crime. But this is historical truth. The Erivan khanate was our historic land. A fictitious Armenian state was established on historically Azerbaijani lands at the dawn of last century. We can never allow a second fictitious Armenian state to emerge on historically Azerbaijani lands in our time and in the present circumstances. This will never happen.

The international community does not and never will recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent entity. No country recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh, this far-fetched criminal regime simply functions illegally. This entity has no future – from legal, political or economic points of view.

Azerbaijan is a country that holds the final say in regional issues. Our opportunities and potential are growing, as are the strength of our army and our political clout. Today Azerbaijan is playing a role in world affairs, is a member of the world's number one structure - the UN Security Council. In May this year, we presided over this structure, expressed our principled and firm position on all global issues.

Our economic influence is also growing. Our economic development shows itself again at the end of this year. All the problems facing our country are being resolved, major investment is made. This year, investment in excess of $20 billion has been made in the economy. We have specific plans to ensure dynamic economic development in the future. At the end of next year, the second part of the State Program on the socioeconomic development of districts will be completed. Then, in early 2014, we will adopt a new program which may at least double our economic opportunities.

The main issue facing our country is the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In all other areas we have achieved great success. It will take a long time to enumerate these achievements. The Azerbaijani public knows all this. As for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, unfortunately, this issue remains unresolved. I think the mediators should be more active in addressing this issue. The occupier state must be given a very strong signal to withdraw from the occupied lands. One can’t breach international law. Unfortunately, we don’t see such signals. We mostly hear balanced expressions. Of course, the occupier state of Armenia is trying to "freeze" the current situation, preserve the status quo. But it will not work. Not because international structures will put pressure on it. We don’t have huge expectations for that. We rely on our own strength. As in all economic and political matters, we rely on our own strength in this matter, on the will of the Azerbaijani people and the power of the Azerbaijani army. There will come a time when Azerbaijan will restore its territorial integrity by all means. Both historical justice and international law recognize this right.

Those who died during the war or our citizens who have lost their health are very much respected in society, are our heroes. We are proud of you. The young generation should also be proud of you. The role of people like you in the education of our young generation in the spirit of patriotism is great. I really want you to meet with young people frequently, held meetings in schools and universities, inform the younger generation and indeed the rest of the world about the war and Armenian atrocities.

The people of Azerbaijani value you very highly. The Azerbaijani government appreciates your selfless work. A good example of that is this ceremony and the ceremonies taking place in different parts of our country today.

I want to congratulate you on the upcoming Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis and the New Year. I wish you well-being and prosperity in these beautiful apartments in the New Year. I wish you good health and every success. Thank you.