No problems if Garabagh Armenians decide to become Azerbaijani citizens Interview of Azerbaijani presidential aide with CBC (VIDEO)

Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev has given an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), in which he explained the situation in Garabagh.

“Azerbaijan said it does not have plans to force thousands of ethnic Armenians to leave the embattled Garabagh region and instead insisted they would have 'guaranteed' safety if they stay,” he said, Caliber.Az reports citing the interview.

Hajiyev said Azerbaijan, which took back control of the area after an all-out assault last week, has a "comprehensive" plan to provide secure and better living conditions for those ethnic Armenians.

But he said those who are afraid are ultimately free to go.

"We would like just to see them stay. Azerbaijan continues to make its appeal to the local population that security is guaranteed.... But in the meantime, we cannot stop freedom of movement. It is a sovereign and individual choice of everyone on the ground,” Hajiyev said.

“Our assessment shows that there was not [any] or minimal collateral damage ... unfortunately, what we see is there a lot of elements of disinformation,” the president’s assistant answered the question that civilians were allegedly wounded during anti-terrorist measures.

Hajiyev said Azerbaijan intends to allow an international expert team from the United Nations into the area "in a matter of days," with the potential for media access as well.

He noted the Azerbaijani government sent buses to Khankandi, after Armenian residents who didn't have cars asked for help.

"Azerbaijan will do its utmost, utmost best and to provide such a corridor so civilians — in a decent and safe manner — could go in which direction they choose," he said, adding that the government's "vision" is to have Azerbaijanis and Armenians living "side by side in dignity and in prosperity and mutual respect."

In Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there will eventually be "no Armenians left in Karabakh." He called Azerbaijan's attack "a direct act of an ethnic cleansing."

"Azerbaijan is not and will never, ever use [ethnic cleansing] — and there is no such an effort on the ground, force against civilians. "If people and civilians are forced to live by violence, by atrocity, that has another definition," the foreign policy adviser said.

Hajiyev said the allegation was "an insult and humiliation".

“There has not been a single case of ill-treatment of other ethnic minorities or representatives of other religious faiths in Azerbaijan’s history. I am really proud of my country. Jews, Orthodox, Catholics in a secular society live in friendship and dignity. Why can not this model be applied to the Garabagh Armenians? Why is our Jewish community thriving? Why are the Russian, Ukrainian and Georgian communities thriving in Azerbaijan? Why can’t this be applied to the Garabagh Armenians? If they decide to become loyal citizens of our country, then there should be no problems,” he noted.