Details added (first version posted on 11:23)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 28
Trend:
The Republic of Azerbaijan supports the territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend Oct. 28.
“We stand for a peaceful settlement based on the constitution and laws of the Kingdom of Spain,” noted Hajiyev.
The official was commenting on the recent political turmoil in Spain, which intensified on Friday as the Madrid government dismissed Catalonia’s president and parliament hours after the region declared independence.
Spain was plunged into uncertainty on Oct. 1 when Catalonia, a prosperous northeastern state that accounts for 20 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product, held an independence referendum, though courts had declared the proceedings illegal. Separatists declared victory despite a participation of only 43 percent.
Hajiyev added that attempts to unilaterally violate the territorial integrity of the country accompanied by the violation of the country’s constitution and law, contrary to the will of the people and the central government, are unacceptable.
“The Republic of Azerbaijan has been suffering from this for more than 30 years. At the end of 1980s, separatism, which Armenians started in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan SSR, was accompanied by a gross violation of the USSR constitution and the laws of Azerbaijan SSR. In this regard, after the ethnic cleansing of the native Azerbaijani population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, the violence against them and acts of terrorism, an illegal referendum on the region’s independence was held against the will of the Azerbaijani people on December 10, 1991 with the participation of only Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh,” said the spokesman.
“With gaining the independence by Armenia and Azerbaijan after the collapse of the USSR, Armenia began an open war against Azerbaijan and occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan, committed ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories against the native Azerbaijani population. The aggression and occupation of Armenia against Azerbaijan still continues,” added Hajiyev.