Azerbaijani presidential rep slams Armenia’s preference for regional impasse

Representative of the Azerbaijani President on special assignments, Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov has said that residents of the Karabakh region of Armenian nationality cannot be considered Azerbaijani citizens until they have applied for Azerbaijani citizenship.

Amirbayov made these remarks in an interview with the Italian In Terris online newspaper, while answering questions about the Karabakh war, the departure of the Armenians, their return and the plans to establish a stable peace in the South Caucasus, according to Report.

He noted that most of them have Armenian passports. There are less than 1,000 people left who have applied for Azerbaijani citizenship.

The ambassador's answer to the question of whether Azerbaijan had any intention of invading Armenia in the near future was clear and unequivocal.

“Of course, Azerbaijan does not have such an intention. This is fake news that has recently spread, the origin of which we cannot fully understand. The so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor’, which will open a land route between Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhchivan, is cited as a pretext for such fabricated news,” the ambassador said.

“However, besides a connecting component between Azerbaijan and Armenia or the regional countries, this is also an alternative route for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route [Middle Corridor], which can connect Asia with Europe. This is a strategic project that can give a powerful boost to global trade,” he said.

He added that if Yerevan does not like the wording “corridor” then such terms as passage, road, interchange, etc. can be used.

Amirbayov reminded that this term is a “purely economic and transport concept”.

“If Armenia does not fulfil its obligations on this issue, we, in fact, have an alternative option. The project of connecting the main part of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the Iranian territory by railway and road transport will be implemented as soon as possible,” the ambassador said.

“Armenia will remain in its position of regional impasse, and this will be the choice of the Armenians themselves. While answering your question, I will reiterate that in any case, Azerbaijan has no territorial claims against Armenia, and Armenia deliberately spreads this unfounded assertion,” he said.

The Azerbaijani President’s representative also answered the journalist’s question about the number of Armenian residents in Karabakh and their possible return. First of all, he reminded that they are not Azerbaijani citizens because they have not applied to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship yet.

“Most of them have Armenian passports, and at least one-third are not natives of Karabakh, but those who, under the influence of the spirit of ‘colonialism’, illegally settled in Karabakh in recent decades. Only less than 1,000 people applied to obtain Azerbaijani citizenship and committed themselves to renouncing separatist actions,” he added.

The ambassador emphasised that “aggressive separatism, which poses a big threat to the country, is prohibited by many constitutions, including the Italian one”.

“We understand that after 30 years of conflict, getaway is a predictable choice, but it was their personal choice, although the Azerbaijani government urged them not to leave the country. We have created a website that allows them to return to Azerbaijan as soon as possible, and we undertake to guarantee the safety, rights and economic well-being of these people. We think that the small number of people who remained, taking into account their contacts with those who left, can play a positive role,” the ambassador emphasised.

As for Azerbaijan’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Amirbayov noted that Azerbaijan “as a country with a predominantly Muslim population has, perhaps, the best relations in the world with Israel.

“This is more than just friendship. To understand this, it is enough to look at the peaceful living conditions of the Jewish community in our country. We think that the conflict is of territorial origin, rather than a religious one. We mourn the casualties on both sides, and that is why we voted for a ceasefire in Gaza, as most UN countries did. We think that peace must be restored as soon as possible, innocent people must not be killed, and we support the well-known solution, which implies the formula ‘two states for two peoples’”.

The ambassador also clarified the issue related to the Christian community in Azerbaijan in general and the Catholic community in particular.

“Of course, the number of Catholics in our country is small, but all their rights are protected by Azerbaijan, like the rights of other citizens of the country. Azerbaijan, being a secular country, is also a multicultural and multi-religious country. This diversity is the source of our pride. Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Jews, Catholics and other citizens coexist peacefully here. They may have their own places of worship and perform their own religious rites in accordance with the law,” he noted.

Amirbayov noted that during the visit of St. John Paul II to Baku in 2002, President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev decided to allocate a land plot free of charge for the construction of a Catholic church in Baku.

“The church opened in 2008. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was during that period Secretary of State of the Holy See, attended the opening ceremony. Pope Francis visited Azerbaijan in 2016 and was very pleased with the prevailing religious tolerance and level of religious freedom in our country,” the ambassador said.

“During a traditional meeting with journalists on board while flying to Rome, he presented Azerbaijan's model for the coexistence of religions as a platform for relations between religion and state that promote freedom and mutual respect and said that this could be an example for many countries,” he said.

Amirbayov emphasised that religious works of art and items belonging to churches and monasteries are an integral part of Azerbaijan’s rich artistic and cultural heritage and are protected by the state.

“Currently, we are conducting a census of all religious monuments, including Christian ones, in Karabakh, in the territories liberated from occupation,” the ambassador said.

“As for the desecration of cultural and religious heritage on the territory of our country, the Armenian occupation forces desecrated monuments of Islamic origin. I would like to draw your attention to one terrible figure. Some 65 out of 67 mosques were completely destroyed by the occupiers, and the two remaining mosques were greatly damaged in the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenians. Unfortunately, no one in the world expresses concern about this,” the Azerbaijani diplomat emphasised.

The ambassador also touched upon relations between Baku and the Vatican.

“I am in Rome to hold a number of high-level meetings both in the Vatican and in the Italian Republic. Italy is my country's most important partner in the European Union. As for the Holy See, last year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, our ties are developing in positively,” he noted.

“We hope that the Vatican will soon open its nunciature in Baku and we will send an ambassador to the Holy See to Rome. One of the main goals of the negotiations with my interlocutors is to inform the other side about the current state, prospects and challenges of the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus, as well as to exchange views on this topic,” the ambassador added.