Azerbaijani official: Armenia should understand peace has no alternative

Yerevan should understand that there is no alternative to peace, and Azerbaijan and Armenia should become good neighbours again, turning the page of hostility and confrontation.

Elchin Amirbayov, assistant to Azerbaijan's First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, made the remarks in an interview with the Vatican news portal FarodiRoma, Report informs.

Armenia has been blocking the peace process for more than four months, refusing to conduct direct negotiations with Azerbaijan, he said.

"Two years after the conclusion of the ceasefire agreement, Armenia continues to grossly violate its provisions, refusing to withdraw its armed forces of almost 10,000 people from Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. In addition, Armenia uses the Lachin road for the illegal transfer of weapons, anti-personnel mines and military personnel to further strengthen its illegal military presence on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan," he said.

"All this makes the current situation in the region very dangerous," Amirbayov stressed, calling on Armenia to refrain from a revanchist position and return to the negotiating table with Azerbaijan.

Commenting on bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Vatican, the official noted that Azerbaijan strives to continue expanding and enriching cooperation with the Holy See in all possible ways.

"Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of East and West and shares the values of both civilizations. Taking advantage of its key geostrategic position, our country serves as an intercultural bridge between different cultures and religions," he stressed.

Amirbayov noted that Azerbaijan's role as a strategic economic centre in Eurasia has recently been strengthened by its significant contribution to global energy security.

"In addition, the decisive geostrategic location at the junction of East and West has turned Azerbaijan into a natural international platform for intercultural and interfaith dialogue," he added.

The official recalled that for almost two decades Baku has regularly held a series of international forums, summits and conferences aimed at strengthening cooperation between different countries.