Nagorno-Karabakh should have a status, but Baku would never accept any if it is not within Azerbaijani territorial integrity, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated at iftar dinner Aug. 28, APA agency reports.

“Our efforts are giving first results in the negotiation process. Our unchangeable position is that this problem could be solved only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The people could live in Nagorno-Karabakh within the status of autonomy and within the united Azerbaijani state. These principles are basic today,” President said, underlining that any agreement can be reached based of these principles only.

According to him, Karabakh conflict settlement is possible solely with step-by-step approach: “We told all countries that the problem could be solved phase-by-phase. All occupied regions will be liberated successively and our compatriots will return to those regions. The infrastructure will be restored there and after that the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh will be determined in the next phase,” he concluded.