No:269/21, Head of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Leyla Abdullayeva answers media’s questions regarding the statements by the Armenian Prime Minister at a briefing with the President of the European Council Charles Michel.
Question: At a press briefing with the President of the Council of the European Union on July 17, Armenian Prime Minister N. Pashinyan made accusations against Azerbaijan, including allegations that Azerbaijan allegedly makes territorial claims against neighboring states, creates border tensions and obstructs the delimitation process. We would like to know your comment on this.
Answer: This is another completely false and slanderous statement of the Prime Minister of Armenia. Let me remind you that these absurd allegations are made by the leader of the country, which has been pursuing a policy of aggression against Azerbaijan for almost 30 years, occupying its territories and violating the fundamental rights of more than one million Azerbaijanis. Based on illusions about "Greater Armenia", the Prime Minister of Armenia, who continues his territorial claims against Azerbaijan today and whose claims are reflected in the country's Constitution, seems to be trying to create any "basis" for his country's aggressive, destructive and irreconcilable policy. We bring to N.Pashinyan's attention that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has not had a territorial claim against any state. Azerbaijan respects the territorial integrity of states within their international borders and demands that the same approach be demonstrated in relation to Azerbaijan.
In the national historical memory of the Azerbaijani people, the territory of modern Armenia, where our compatriots historically lived as an indigenous people, is called Western Azerbaijan, and as is known, our compatriots were deported from this area three times during the twentieth century, the last in 1988. The Zangazur region and its division into Eastern and Western parts is also a historical reality. The return of our compatriots to those territories is their most natural right. This is not a territorial claim, but the return of refugees to their homes; as the trilateral statement of 10 November 2020 contains.
As for Pashinyan's claims of "border tensions and obstruction of the delimitation process", this is nothing but the hypocrisy of the Armenian Prime Minister. By eliminating the factor of occupation of its territories and ensuring its territorial integrity Azerbaijan has stated its readiness to normalize relations on the basis of the principles of international law, start the process of delimitation and demarcation and has taken practical steps in this direction. In return, Armenia takes the position of aggravating the situation, revanchism and conditioning peace. It is not difficult to predict the consequences of this destructive approach, which has been exhibited for years, for Armenia.