Azerbaijani presidential aide speaks to international media on Garabagh Armenians’ reintegration

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, head of the foreign policy department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, spoke in a number of world media outlets, where he noted Baku’s position regarding the reintegration of the Karabakh region.

Hajiyev told the Financial Times after last week’s operation that Baku plans to fully absorb and integrate Garabagh, giving it no special autonomous status within Azerbaijan and granting citizenship to its residents, Caliber.Az reports.

He also said Baku was envisaging an “amnesty” for all Nagorno-Karabakh residents who served in separatist forces or with the Armenian army, a majority of the male population. But he said that would not extend to “criminals, who have . . . used crimes against humanity and war crimes against Azerbaijani civilians. That is a separate story.”

In an interview with POLITICO, Hajiyev said that the government will “also respect the individual choices of residents.”

“It once again shows that allegations as if Azerbaijan blocked the roads for passage are not true,” Hajiyev told POLITICO. “They are enabled to use their private vehicles.”