Baku, October 13, 2024 – The Europe Today: Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has issued a sharp rebuke following recent remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the “Crossroads of Peace: Combining Security and Democracy” forum on October 12. According to a statement reported by the News Hub Consultants the ministry accused Pashinyan of distorting facts related to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, which ended the Second Karabakh War.
Spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada criticized the Armenian leader, stating that Pashinyan’s comments about the opening of communications, as outlined in the trilateral agreement, reveal Armenia’s disregard for its commitments.
“The Armenian Prime Minister’s statement regarding the opening of communications with reference to the trilateral statement once again demonstrates the negligence of the Armenian leadership for the obligations it has undertaken,” Hajizada emphasized. He pointed to Paragraph 9 of the agreement, which, according to him, clearly outlines Armenia’s responsibility regarding the opening of transport links and how they should be managed.
Hajizada went further, highlighting Armenia’s repeated violations of the 2020 agreement. These include Armenia’s failure to withdraw illegal armed units from the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan until September 2023, and the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Azerbaijani territories through the Lachin Border Checkpoint, originally intended for humanitarian purposes.
“In general, if we look at the activities of Armenia that violated other obligations arising from the trilateral statement of 10 November, including the continuation of landmine terror against Azerbaijan, it becomes evident that Armenia has not fulfilled its commitments,” Hajizada said.
The spokesperson also criticized Armenia’s contradictory stance regarding Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, citing Pashinyan’s congratulation of the separatist regime in Garabagh on September 2, 2023. He further questioned Armenia’s sincerity in its recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial sovereignty while simultaneously supporting separatist movements.
Regarding Pashinyan’s comments on the Lachin corridor and the issue of prisoner exchanges, Hajizada remarked: “The Armenian Prime Minister’s rhetorical questions about the activity of the Lachin corridor and the return of refugees and internally displaced people are only surprising and mocking.” He also dismissed Armenia’s claims about the non-return of prisoners of war, stating that Azerbaijan has adhered to humanitarian principles by returning all Armenian prisoners of war, adding that the country has no obligation to release war criminals or representatives of separatist regimes.
The statement concluded with a direct call to Armenia’s leadership to abandon its unfounded claims over Azerbaijani territories, to cease distorting historical facts, and to adhere to the principles of international law.
“We urge the leadership of Armenia, which once again did not give up its baseless claims against the territories of Azerbaijan, to refrain from statements that exceed all boundaries, distort realities, and mislead the international community,” the ministry’s statement warned.
