Pashinyan's claims are unfounded and aimed at disrupting negotiation process - FAMA

Baku/21.07.23/Turan: The claims once again put forward by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the Lachyn road demonstrate the intention of the Armenian side to use this issue for political purposes and hinder the progress of negotiations on a peace agreement.

This is stated in the commentary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Azerbaijan.

The document reminds that after the 44-day war in 2020, Armenia went on carrying out illegal activities on the Lachyn road despite Baku's calls to stop it.

"Since Armenia ignored these calls, Azerbaijan, within the norms and principles of international law, as well as within the framework of Azerbaijani legislation, created the Lachin border checkpoint and over the past few months has ensured transparent and orderly crossing of the checkpoint by Armenian residents and trucks. In this particular case, it is fundamentally wrong to interpret the said checkpoint as an "overlap" of the road," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry comments further.

Aside from this, as the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted, the International Court of Justice, by its decision of July 6, unanimously rejected the request of the Armenian side to liquidate the checkpoint, confirming the groundlessness of this claim.

"The shelling of the border checkpoint by the Armenian side on June 15, the injury of an Azerbaijani border guard as a result, and attempts at smuggling showed Armenia's intention to continue aggression and illegal activities, thereby once again confirming the validity of the creation of the Lachin checkpoint," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

At that, the refusal of the Armenian side to use the Aghdam-Khankendi road, ignoring the opinion of the President of the Council of the European Union Charles Michel that the Aghdam-Khankendi road proposed by Azerbaijan creates an opportunity to supply the region, testifies to the unfounded claims about the "tense humanitarian situation" in the region.

The statements of the Armenian side that Azerbaijan is taking steps to carry out "ethnic cleansing" in the region are also extremely erroneous and dangerous. "Unlike Armenia, which committed mass killings and deportations of Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijan has never pursued the policy of ethnic cleansing against Armenian residents. The fact that the Prime Minister of Armenia, recognizing Karabakh as the territory of Azerbaijan, instead of encouraging the reintegration of Armenian residents into Azerbaijan, puts forward conditions regarding the form of dialogue, thus encroaching on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry further noted.

The document also points out that Armenia's verbal statements about support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and readiness to delimit the border are leveled by Yerevan's failure to fulfill its obligations to fully withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan, by continuing financial support for the illegal formation, by continuing to advance territorial claims and doom the negotiation process to failure.

"The Azerbaijani side, as the initiator of the peace process with Armenia, is interested in establishing peace, stability and security in the region and is an active participant in the negotiation process. If the Armenian side is interested in peace, it should abandon steps that hinder the peace process," the statement of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry concluded. -06B-