I.Aliyev on the OSCE Minsk Group, Iranian trucks, Zangezur corridor, the possibility of reconciliation and the Armenians of Karabakh

Baku/27.09.21/Turan: The Minsk group did not make any proposals after the end of the Second Karabakh war and the resolution of the conflict. Confidence-building measures are needed, then the opening of roads, corridors - that is, support is needed for the peace process, the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, steps to sign a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is what the co-chairs should do, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Anadolu Agency on Monday.

Answering a question on the progress of the implementation of the agreements of November 10, 2020, he said that the main issues reflected in this document have been resolved, although Armenia does not fulfill a number of agreements. In particular, this concerns the withdrawal of military forces from Karabakh.

In addition, Armenia is hindering the opening of communication between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. However, Armenia does not agree and grossly violates the points of the statement of November 10, Aliyev said.

“We try to be  patient, although our patience also has limits. The second Karabakh war demonstrated what happens when our patience runs out. Therefore, we give Armenia a chance to fulfill all the conditions of the November 10 statement and act responsibly,” Aliyev threatened.

Armenian military and foreigners move along the Lachin corridor, why is this happening? To this question, Aliyev said that Baku brings its displeasure to the attention of Moscow. “We have raised this issue many times. Karabakh is our territory. No foreign nationals or vehicles can enter these areas without our permission."

How does Baku assess Yerevan's statements about its readiness to normalize relations with Turkey? To this, Aliyev said that Pashinyan's words do not inspire confidence, because in the Armenian constitution there are territorial claims against Turkey. “Therefore, first of all, they must develop and adopt a new constitution,” Aliyev said.

Armenia should also give up its claims to Azerbaijan and normalize relations with Baku. First, Armenia must correctly assess the new reality, in this case, large-scale cooperation in the region is possible, Aliyev said.

How does Baku assess Iran's assistance to the Karabakh separatists? To this question, Aliyev replied that it is not the first time that Iranian trucks have entered Karabakh illegally. This also happened during the occupation. “We have expressed our dissatisfaction with the Iranian side through various channels. However, this process continued, ”Aliyev said.

“I instructed the staff of the Presidential Administration to talk with the Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan. We don't want to take this to the official level. Let them talk in a friendly way and declare that this needs to be ended. This is disrespectful to us. This disrespect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, it must be stopped. It was in July,”Aliyev said.

However, Iranian trucks began to install Armenian plates and continued to travel to Karabakh. “This is a fraud, they tried to deceive us. Therefore, a month later, we officially issued a diplomatic note, the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and complaints were expressed to him. However, from August 11 to September 11, about 60 Iranian trucks went illegally to Karabakh. Then we moved on to practical steps and began to control the road passing through the territory of Azerbaijan. After that, Iranian trucks stopped traveling to Karabakh. Is this trade so important that you show open disrespect for the country you consider friendly and fraternal? ”Aliyev said.

Aliyev called "unexpected" Iran's military exercises near the borders of Azerbaijan. Each country has the right to conduct military exercises on its territory. “Why exactly now and why on our border?” Aliyev said and expressed hope that long-term cooperation with Iran would not be hit.

When asked about the Armenians of Karabakh, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan considers them its citizens. “We perceive them as citizens of Azerbaijan, and they should accept it,” he said. Armenians living in Karabakh can become part of the process of rebuilding the region. “We show goodwill and hope that they will understand that their happy and prosperous future is connected only with the Azerbaijani state,” Aliyev said. -02D-