ArmInfo.The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry rejected the statements of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which he made today at a government meeting, describing them as 'unfounded' and 'intended to deliberately inflame tension in the region'.
At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, recalling that On February 13, as a result of the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan, 4 border guards on combat duty at the Armenian state border in the area of the Nerkin Hand settlement of the enlarged Kapan community of the Syunik region were killed, stated that Baku's intentions remain the same: to pursue a policy of military coercion against the Republic of Armenia. Pashinyan also pointed out that Azerbaijan regularly talks, as it puts it, about the territories of 4 villages, at the same time refusing to accept that the vital territories of 31 non-enclave villages of the Republic of Armenia are under Azerbaijani occupation, territories from which Baku does not want to leave. "Azerbaijan is trying to start military operations on certain sections of the border with Armenia with the prospect of unleashing a full-scale war against the Republic of Armenia," he emphasized.
In response, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry notes that Azerbaijan's actions were allegedly taken in response to the injury of an Azerbaijani serviceman. The department called on Yerevan to clarify the question of why the promises of the Armenian Ministry of Defense to conduct an investigation into the injury of an Azerbaijani serviceman have not yet been fulfilled: "It is also necessary to clarify on what basis mercenaries from various military formations located at the border posts of Armenia are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense this country>. " At the same time, it would be useful to clarify why the Ministry of Defense of Armenia didn't fulfill their commitment regarding an investigation into the injury of an Azerbaijani soldier so far, as well as on what basis the mercenaries from different military groups at the border posts of Armenia were subordinated to the Armenian Ministry of Defense."
Commenting on Pashinyan's statement about enclaves and exclaves, the Foreign Ministry said:"Referring to the issue of enclave and exclave villages of Azerbaijan, another assertion of the Prime Minister of Armenia that Azerbaijan had occupied the territories of 31 villages is part of political manipulations. We would like to remind the Prime Minister, who stated in his previous statements that there are 32 such villages, that Armenia first and foremost has obligations to return 8 villages of Azerbaijan," the statement says.
" It would be appropriate to get an explanation why Armenia, which refers to the territorial integrity and conduct of delimitation on the basis of the borders of 1991 and the Alma-Ata Declaration, has not complied with these maps and agreements in the last 35 years, refused to accept the borders reflected in the Soviet maps, and occupied the territories of Azerbaijan.
We would like to remind the Prime Minister, who claims that Armenia supports the territorial integrity of all its neighbors, the ongoing claims against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in Armenia's Constitution, legislative acts in force, official letters, statements, documents distributed in international organizations and courts.
If Armenia is genuinely interested in the peace process, this country should abandon its claims against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Thus, Baku did not miss another opportunity to demand changes to the Constitution of Armenia and present territorial claims to the Republic of Armenia.