Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 25
By Azad Hasanli - Trend:
The operational link between Azerbaijan and Armenia is established not at the level of heads of state, foreign or defense ministers, Deputy Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters in Baku Oct. 25.
He said that the communication is established at a lower level and is used in operational cases within the appropriate framework.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties to the conflict and are in talks to resolve the conflict,” he said. “Therefore, such contacts are normal.”
He also commented on the recent statement of acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding participation of the separatist regime in the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“This is an unacceptable approach that doesn’t serve to the conflict’s settlement, but rather is a step that increases tensions,” Hajiyev said. “Armenia is the responsible party to the conflict because it occupied our lands by using force. The presence of Armenian troops in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan proves that Armenia is the responsible side. Therefore, Armenia won’t be able to avoid responsibility. Armenia must withdraw its troops from the occupied lands. Such harmful rhetoric contradicts the spirit of the conversation that was held by the heads of state in Dushanbe.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.