Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.19 / Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva /
Provocative and untrue statements of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who uses primitive tricks in his expressions to blacken Azerbaijan, cast doubt on his professional skills as a diplomat, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Spokesman Elman Abdullayev told Trend by commenting on Nalbandian's recent statements.
At a joint press conference with UK Minister for Europe David Lidington Nalbandian has expressed concern that Azerbaijan threatens security of the Nagorno-Karabakh residents.
"Representative of Armenia, on the instructions of whose leadership their snipers shoot at innocent people, women and organize terror attacks against children, has no moral right to make idle accusations against Azerbaijan," Abdullayev said.
He said as in the Soviet time, today Azerbaijan is also proud of its multiethnic culture and tolerance.
In the international arena, Azerbaijan has always been initiator of events on intercultural and interethnic dialogue, Abdullayev said.
"Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan has always been a safe place for its multi-ethnic population and for visitors," Abdullayev said.
Thus, according to Abdullayev, after terrible ethnic cleansing committed by Armenian leadership, and after expulsion of other nationalities, namely Armenia became a mono-ethnic country, and that fact speaks for itself.
"How the minister of the country, government of which constantly repeat that the Azerbaijanis and Armenians are incompatible and that the genocide in Khojaly was a demonstration of what Armenia is ready to do to achieve its goals, can speak about the security," Abdullayev said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.