Azerbaijan says Armenian PM's claims deal blow to Baku-Yerevan peace talks UPDATED

16:40

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aykhan Hajizada has stated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements, which are totally unfounded and most flagrantly distort historical facts, deal another blow to the region's peace process.

Hajizada made the remarks commenting on unfounded claims Pashinyan voiced against Azerbaijan at a press conference on March 14, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry press service.

“Pashinyan's anti-Azerbaijani campaign, which evades his own commitments and promises made on various international platforms, and his rhetoric that derails the negotiations on a peace treaty and the efforts of international mediators, do not bode well for Armenia. Pashinyan's denial of the forcible expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their lands in what is now Armenia demonstrates his intention to continue justifying Armenia's decades-long systematic and deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing.

The physical destruction of Azerbaijani civilians living on Armenian territory, the perpetration of massacres against them and the forcible relocation of the population through intimidation are all historical facts. To have a complete picture of the scale of violence and deportation of Azerbaijanis from what is now Armenia, the prime minister needs only look at the changes in the Azerbaijani/Armenian population ratio in the region. It is well known that Azerbaijanis were once a percentage majority in what is now Armenia, but now there is none left and this is a consequence of a deliberate policy.

The Armenian leadership is unwilling to recognise the rights of Azerbaijanis to a safe and dignified return to their homeland, resists the call for dialogue by the Western Azerbaijan Community, which includes hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, and presents their legitimate demands as 'territorial claims'. This shows that the Armenian leadership attaches no importance to the notion of 'human rights' and intends to continue its policy of retaining the title of a mono-ethnic state.

The Armenian prime minister's repeated attempts to interfere in the issue of dialogue with the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region are unacceptable, as are his provocative statements against the internationally recognised sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and his use of expressions such as 'the people and government of Karabakh'.

Armenia's disregard for Azerbaijan's position that discussions on the reintegration of residents of Armenian origin are an internal affair of Azerbaijan and that foreign states have no role here indicates that Armenia is not abandoning its aggressive policy launched against our country in the early 1990s under the pretext of 'self-determination of peoples'. The Armenian prime minister must understand that the rights of residents of Armenian origin in the Karabakh region can never be superior to the rights of the Azerbaijani population of the region, Azerbaijan applies and will apply only an equal approach to the various ethnic peoples living in its territory.

The accusation of Azerbaijan by Armenia, which has so far failed to comply with any agreements and commitments, claims that Azerbaijan is escalating the situation in the border regions is just a step to cover up its possible military provocations.

Armenia is not interested in signing a peace treaty, as it opposes clauses excluding territorial claims against Azerbaijan, presenting its unconstructive approach as ideas of 'international mechanisms' and an 'international institution of guarantees'. The fact that the Armenian side, which last refused to negotiate a peace treaty in December last year, opposes EU mediation efforts under various pretexts indicates that it intends to continue the practice of obstructing negotiations that it has conducted for almost 30 years.

The Armenian prime minister told a briefing that he was ready to sign a draft that mentioned only Armenia's proposals and failed to take into account Azerbaijan's proposals, which is further evidence of its disinterest in the peace process. We believe that these destructive actions by Armenia should be stopped and condemned by the international community," Hajizada said.

15:25

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aykhan Hajizada has stated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements, which are totally unfounded and most flagrantly distort historical facts, deal another blow to the region's peace process.

Hajizada made the remarks commenting on unfounded claims Pashinyan voiced against Azerbaijan at a press conference on March 14.

The news will be updated.