Envoy: Support for Armenian separatism in Karabakh doomed to failure

Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Netherlands Rahman Mustafayev has said “support for Armenian separatism in Karabakh is doomed to failure”.

He made the remarks at the international conference "South Caucasus and the European Union - overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities" in The Hague on July 5, reacting to a speech by EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar, Caliber.Az reports.

Exciting conference in TheHague on 🇦🇿🇦🇲peace & 🇪🇺/🇦🇿🇦🇲🇬🇪 relations. Was honoured to explain to 🇦🇲|n colleagues basic parameters of new regional reality. Rights of Armenians of Karabakh will be ensured on equal terms with other 🇦🇿|i citizens. Equality under 🇦🇿law, no more, no less pic.twitter.com/IGTwexJ6Xd

— Rahman Mustafayev (@rahman2609m) July 5, 2023

The ambassador said that the EU must accept the new realities in South Caucasus, adding that the period of uncertainty is over.

“Exciting conference in The Hague on Azerbaijan-Armenia peace and the relations between the EU, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. I was honoured to explain to Armenian colleagues the basic parameters of the new regional reality. The rights of Armenians of Karabakh will be ensured on equal terms with other Azerbaijani citizens. Equality under Azerbaijani law, no more, no less,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the ambassador said that he is surprised that the issue of demining Azerbaijani liberated territories is ranked last on the EU's list of regional priorities.

For Azerbaijan, demining is the top priority issue, Mustafayev noted.

He briefed participants at the conference, which brought together experts from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, representatives of the EU, the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic corps accredited in The Hague, on Azerbaijan's position on post-conflict settlement issues, the peace process with Armenia and relations with the EU.

Mustafayev sharply criticised the conference's theses on the so-called "threat of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh" and "the right of Karabakh Armenians to security".

According to the diplomat, ethnic cleansing did take place in the region, but it happened in 1988-1990 when the occupying Armenian forces expelled from the region all its non-Armenian population.

The ambassador recalled that during Soviet times, the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region was a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional region with 46 ethnic groups. All of them were expelled from their places of residence in Karabakh exactly by the Armenian Armed Forces. The region was turned into a mono-ethnic military base with ruined cities, contaminated rivers, felled forests and mined fields. Azerbaijan intends to restore the region, to revive its multi-ethnic character.

Referring to the "right of Armenians to security" thesis, he stressed that Armenians did not have any special, God-given rights in Karabakh that were of higher priority than those of other Azerbaijani citizens. This misconception is the fundamental problem of Armenian ideology and policy and the main obstacle to the peace process. The problem of rights and guarantees will be solved exclusively by the formula 'equality of all citizens before the law', no more and no less.

The Azerbaijani diplomat also criticised calls by EU representatives and the Dutch Foreign Ministry to "intensify the dialogue between Baku and Khankandi.

He noted that Khankandi is not the capital of any republic or autonomy and that it is not even the centre of the Khojaly region, where it is located. The administrative centre of the district is Khojali and relations between Baku and Khojali will follow the same pattern as Baku's relations with Shusha, Aghdam, Ganja, Khachmaz and other administrative centres of Azerbaijani districts. Contacts with representatives of Karabakh’s Armenian population will of course take place, but with unconditional observance of Azerbaijani legislation.