Azerbaijan condemns Pashinyan’s stance as undermining peace, clinging to obsolete Minsk Group

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has sharply criticised Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks during the Yerevan Dialogue, accusing Yerevan of undermining the peace process and clinging to obsolete mechanisms such as the OSCE Minsk Group.

In a statement issued on May 26, the ministry's spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizada, said the Armenian leader’s refusal to amend the Constitution and renounce territorial claims “raises questions about the commitment of Armenia to peace,” Caliber.Az reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

“The position of the Prime Minister of Armenia reiterated on 26 May 2025 during the Yerevan Dialogue, demonstrating that Armenia is not willing to amend the Constitution to drop the territorial claims and to overcome existing challenges in the peace process, raises questions about the commitment of Armenia to peace,” Hajizada said.

He also criticised Armenia’s continued reference to the Minsk Group, which Azerbaijan insists is obsolete following the 2020 war and the restoration of Azerbaijani control over territories previously held by Armenian forces.

“Overlooking the calls for the formal dissolution of the Minsk Group, tying it to a peace agreement, also raises questions why Armenia, by all means, tries to preserve this outdated mechanism that no longer serves the region’s realities,” he said. “Azerbaijan has rightfully called for the Minsk Group's disbandment, as the conflict it was meant to address has been resolved. Delaying this step only fuels suspicion of Armenia’s intentions.”

Hajizada rejected Yerevan’s claim that dissolving the group would effectively “close the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in the territory of Azerbaijan and move it to the sovereign territory of Armenia,” calling such assertions “purely manipulative.”

“With such a position, Armenia indicates that the conflict has not ended, thus, the Minsk Group needs to remain intact,” he added.

The Azerbaijani official also responded to Pashinyan’s remarks about the so-called “Western Azerbaijan” narrative, describing them as a distortion of historical facts.

“The Western Azerbaijan narrative of the Prime Minister of Armenia is a distortion of facts and open disregard of the inalienable rights of Azerbaijanis who once comprised almost the majority of Armenia’s population,” Hajizada said. “The question of Western Azerbaijan is a topic of human rights, one that aims to serve a peaceful, secure, and dignified return of the Azerbaijani people subjected to ethnic cleansing by Armenia.”

On regional connectivity, Baku reaffirmed its support for unimpeded transit and criticised Armenia for proposing alternative “complex” transit routes.

“Azerbaijan’s position for unimpeded transit aligns with regional cooperation and economic integration, and by no means could be considered a disrespect of Armenia’s sovereignty,” Hajizada said. “Armenia’s resistance, proposing complex transit routes, stalls progress and contradicts the statements of the importance of regional cooperation.”

Hajizada concluded by urging Yerevan to make concrete steps toward peace. “For lasting peace, Armenia must amend its Constitution to remove territorial claims and support the Minsk Group’s dissolution without preconditions. Azerbaijan’s conditions are not obstacles but legitimate steps to ensure regional peace and stability,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev