Italian news website “L’opinione” hails Azerbaijani President`s speech at PACE summer session

Rome, July 12 (AzerTAc). Italian news website “L’opinione” has published an article hailing Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev`s speech at the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The article says the President provided an insight into Azerbaijan`s development, reforms carried out in the last few years. “The reforms that we have implemented have created a very positive atmosphere in our society,” the website quotes the Azerbaijani leader as saying. It also refers to President Ilham Aliyev`s remarks: “All the fundamental freedoms are provided in Azerbaijan. We have freedom of political activity. There are hundreds of political institutions and parties. We have freedom of expression and media freedom.” The author hails Azerbaijan’s entering top five tolerant countries list in 2013. The article quotes President Ilham Aliyev: “Religious freedom is another of our country’s biggest assets. We are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. For centuries, the representatives of different nationalities and religions have lived in peace and dignity in Azerbaijan. Concentrating on the values of multiculturalism will be one of the priorities of our chairmanship.” The website also refers to the remarks of the President on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: “The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan puts the whole region in danger. It is called a “frozen” or “protracted” conflict, but neither is it frozen nor can it be frozen, because it must be resolved. Nagorno-Karabakh is an historic part of Azerbaijan. The previous President of Armenia, speaking here in this home of democracy, said that there is a national incompatibility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. His successor, the current leader of Armenia, describes the conflict as a religious one. That approach is absolutely unacceptable. Azerbaijanis have no incompatibility with any nation – Armenians might do so, but not only with us, because their country is now mono-ethnic, with 99.9% of the population of Armenia being Armenians. All the minorities, including Azerbaijanis, were forced to leave. That racist approach cannot prevail in negotiation. We need to address the issue and to restore justice and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.” Magsud Dadashov Special Correspondent in Rome