Armenian Foreign Office responds to statement of official Baku

ArmInfo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia responded to the statement of the Foreign  Ministry of Azerbaijan, which responded to today's statement by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Let us recall that today at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers,  Pashinyan said that last week the military- political situation in  the South Caucasus worsened significantly, which was due to the  accumulation of Azerbaijani troops along the line of contact with  Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border with Armenia. The policy of  encroachment on the sovereign territory of Armenia continues, the  head of government also said. 

Recalling that on September 1, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched  another provocation against the sovereign territory of the Republic  of Armenia in the Sotk section of the Gegharkunik region, as a result  of which 3 servicemen of the Armenian Ministry of Defense were  killed, as well as the ongoing illegal blocking of the Lachin  corridor by Azerbaijan, the Armenian Prime Minister noted that with  the latest actions Baku is demonstrating its intention to undertake a  new military provocation against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Baku stated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's  accusations against Azerbaijan  are "an integral part of another  false political manipulation by Armenia." According to the Foreign  Ministry of Azerbaijan, "the real threat to security in the region is  the ongoing military-political provocations by Armenia, the ongoing  claims of the Armenian side, including those of the Prime Minister,  against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, the  Armenian Armed Forces, which, contrary to obligations, they have not  yet been withdrawn from Azerbaijani territories> (Official Yerevan  has repeatedly stated that Armenia does not have armed forces in  Nagorno-Karabakh, ed. note).

"To establish peace and security in the region, the Armenian side  must stop territorial claims against Azerbaijan, stop military and  political provocations, and stop obstacles to the successful  completion of the negotiation process on a peace treaty," official  Baku states.

Regarding the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of  Azerbaijan after the speech of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol  Pashinyan at the meeting of the Government of Armenia on September 7,  2023, the Armenia's Foreign Office considered it necessary to  emphasise the following.

-Azerbaijani users of social networks and media themselves published  information regarding the accumulation of Azerbaijani troops near the  Armenian-Azerbaijani border and along the contract line in  Nagorno-Karabakh, which is confirmed by information from other  sources as well.

-In the above-mentioned speech, the Prime Minister of Armenia stated  that Armenia is committed to the agreements reached on October 6,  2022 in Prague, October 31, 2022 in Sochi and May 14, 2023 in  Brussels, which confirmed the mutual unconditional recognition by  Armenia and Azerbaijan of each other's territorial integrity. Armenia  has no territorial claims against Azerbaijan and expects the same  from Azerbaijan, which has not yet publicly confirmed its commitment  to these agreements.

-Armenia is not interested in military escalation, it is now  proposing mechanisms to exclude such risks, as it did previously, but  until now has not yet received answers. Armenia is ready to discuss  the introduction of other effective mechanisms as well.

-Armenia is ready to continue making active efforts to complete the  work on the draft of the agreement on peace and normalization of  relations with Azerbaijan and sign it as soon as possible. 

-Armenia is dedicated and remains committed to the agenda of peace  and stability in the South Caucasus, while emphasising the need for  similar rhetoric and practical signals from official Baku.

-It is obvious that the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the  humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and the absence of  Baku-Stepanakert dialogue under an international mechanism do not  contribute to the improvement of the atmosphere in the region.