Pashinyan's destructive statements are blow to normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia – A. Hajizade

Baku/11.11.22/Turan: Attempts by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to distort the speech of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Shusha on November 8 and create the impression that Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its obligations are completely unjustified and unacceptable. 

This approach of the Armenian leadership is another blow to the process of normalization of relations between the two states and the establishment of peace in the region. 

This is stated in the comments of the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, Ayhan Hajizade, on some statements made by the Prime Minister of Armenia during his speech at a government meeting on November 10.

The Foreign Ministry's message says that Pashinyan's accusation of Azerbaijan's "violation of international law" is unfounded.

As Hajizade emphasizes, during the 44-day war in 2020, Azerbaijan, using its right to defense in line with the UN Charter, liberated its internationally recognized territories from the occupants and restored territorial integrity. Armenia continues to decline from the Trilateral Statement of November 10, 2020, in particular, paragraphs 4, 6 and 9 of the document signed personally by Prime Minister Pashinyan, thereby violating its international obligations. 

"Azerbaijan's adequate responses to various military provocations of the Armenian armed formations, which, contrary to the Trilateral Statement, have not yet been completely withdrawn from Azerbaijani territories and continue to pose a threat to the region, are legitimate," the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry further said in a comment. It is the Armenian side that, in violation of the obligations as set forth in paragraph 9 of the Trilateral Statement, disrupts the process of opening communications between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Azerbaijan, for its part, honestly fulfills its obligation by laying a new Lachin road. Therefore, the statement of the Armenian Prime Minister about Azerbaijan's intention to "block the Lachin corridor" is nothing more than a deliberate aggravation of the situation in the region, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry comments further.

The document notes that "in keeping with the tripartite statement, the Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of the movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin road in both directions," however, the use of the road for military purposes is unacceptable.

As Armenian officials have acknowledged, Armenian armed formations have not been completely withdrawn from the territory of Azerbaijan, and mines produced in Armenia in 2021 are also being transported to the territory of Azerbaijan. "This means that, contrary to paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement, cases of Armenia's abuse of the Lachin road for illegal military actions continue," the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry further emphasizes.

"As for the completely incorrect interpretation and unfounded statements of the well-known provision of the Trilateral Statement by the Prime Minister of Armenia regarding the Zangezur Corridor, we note that the Zangezur Corridor means the restoration of the historical connection between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of our country, which implies the use of this corridor for peaceful and humanitarian purposes," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a commentary.

Pashinyan's statements about the so-called "status of Karabakh", which was not mentioned in any way in the trilateral statement and other documents, are also inconsistent. "Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, the rights and security of the Armenian population living in the region will be ensured in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry emphasizes.

In addition, Hajizade responded to the statements of the Armenian Prime Minister about Azerbaijan's alleged obstruction in the process of normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations, saying that "Armenia's territorial claims to Turkey are reflected in its declaration of independence and constitution, which does not recognize the borders of its neighbors, which directly testifies to the absurdity of its accusation."

"We declare once again that the ongoing destructive activities of Armenia, contrary to its obligations, do not promote the restoration of peace in the region, but primarily act against Armenia. Azerbaijan, for its part, is committed to establishing peace and stability in the region and will continue its actions in this direction on the basis of international law," Hajizade stressed. -06B-