Azerbaijan slams Armenian foreign ministry’s statement as diversionary tactic

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry criticized the statement by Armenia as an attempt to divert international attention from factors hindering peace efforts between Baku and Yerevan.

“The statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia of 7 June 2024 that contests the fact of territorial claims of this country towards its neighbors in fact is nothing than an intention to divert the attention of the international community from the challenges that remain as obstacle to achieve a peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Aykhan Hajizada said, Caliber.Az reports.

“Today, the major challenge is indeed the continuing territorial claim of Armenia against Azerbaijan that is enshrined within its multiple legal and political documents, most importantly in the Constitution of Armenia that openly refers to the Declaration of Independence of Armenia calling for “reunion of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.”

“Azerbaijan has a legitimate right to demand the removal of this claim from the Constitution that directly affects our national security, and it cannot be labeled as an interference in Armenia’s internal affairs.

Armenia MFA’s logic that this problem could be overlooked demonstrates that Armenia is not interested in sustainable peace and it only aims at saving this provision as a future backup option to resume its aggression against Azerbaijan. Moreover, Armenia’s efforts to revive the Minsk Group which is a remnant of a former conflict and continuing militarization policy demonstrates the existence of a hidden agenda by Armenia,” the spokesman noted.   

“Furthermore, the reference by the Armenian side to the provision in the draft peace agreement that “neither party may invoke its domestic legislation for not implementing its obligations under the peace agreement” to support the statement that the territorial claim in its Constitution is harmless is null and void. It is a well-known fact that no international agreement can have a superiority over the Constitution.  

Armenia has no moral ground to question Azerbaijan’s sincerity in the peace process since Azerbaijan has taken steps to initiate a peace process and persuaded Armenia to negotiate a peace agreement the first draft of which was provided by Azerbaijan.

Armenia must realize that the only way to ensure stability and peace in the region is to build relations with neighboring countries based on recognition and adherence to sovereignty and territorial integrity, and eliminate the challenges that pose a threat in these areas,” Hajizada concluded.