Azerbaijani experts criticize Prague agreement

Baku/06.10.22/Turan: Experts in Baku accepted with reserve the document signed in Prague on the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as other controversial issues between the two countries.

Political scientist Ilgar Velizade recalls that Armenia and Azerbaijan had confirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991 on the formation of the CIS.

"However, Armenia, in 1991, recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, occupied Shusha and Lachin region in 1992, captured Kelbajar region in 1993, and Agdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil and Zangilan regions in 1994. Armenians spit on the Alma-Ata Declaration with the tacit consent of nearly everyone who signed this declaration at that time, as well as the majority of other members of the international community."

Velizade, in an interview with Turan, urged not to be deluded by the success achieved, and be ready for new Armenian provocations.

In turn, former Foreign Minister Tofik Zulfugarov rejected the Prague document, calling it untenable. He recalled that on December 1, 1989, at a joint meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR and the Regional Council of the NKAO (Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region within the AZSSR) the Republic of Armenia was proclaimed, in which, from their point of view, the NKAO was included.

"Therefore, when joining the UN and in 1991 when adopting the Alma-Ata Declaration, Armenia and Azerbaijan had different positions on what was meant by the concept of territorial integrity of each other. It seems that there was not a single lawyer in the delegations of the countries that adopted the Prague statement," former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofiq Zulfugarov wrote in Meta.

On the sidelines of the first meeting of the European Political Community on October 6, 2022, at the initiative of the President of France and the President of the European Council, a meeting was held between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, through which both sides recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. They confirmed that this will serve as the basis for the work of the delimitation commissions and that the next meeting of these commissions will be held in Brussels before the end of October. –0-