Baku, Azerbaijan, July 20
Trend:
The so-called separatist regime created in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has not been recognized by any sovereign state of the world, including even the invader Armenia, Spokesperson of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva told Trend.
She was commenting on a statement by Gladys Berejiklian, prime minister of Armenian origin of the Australian state of New South Wales, in an interview to Armenian media that New South Wales allegedly recognizes the independence of “Nagorno-Karabakh” for already 20 years.
“First of all let me stress that the so-called separatist regime created in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has not been recognized by any sovereign state of the world, including even the invader Armenia,” she said.
“As for the official position of Australia, I would like to underline that Australia unequivocally supports Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it has been repeatedly stated by the officials of this country, as well as reflected in the official letters and notes verbales addressed to Azerbaijan,” she added. “The former foreign minister of Australia stated back in 2015 her country’s support to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and consistent policy of the Government of Australia to end the conflict and the occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.”
“In 2017 the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific reiterated the well-known position of her country within her visit to Azerbaijan,” she noted. “And most recently, on May 29 of this year the letter of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Peter Cosgrove addressed to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan stated that “Australia has historically been a strong supporter of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to do so in to the future”.”
“Coming to the statement of the Armenian-origin Premier of the Australian New South Wales, I have to stress that it does not reflect the official position of the Australian Government, and I would rather question to what extent do the representatives of states are involved in formulation of the Federal Government's foreign policy,” Abdullayeva said. “The statement of the Premier of the New South Wales made in Yerevan is in clear contradiction with the official position of the Federal Government, and to my mind she should be warned to act in accordance with the foreign policy course of the country she represents.”
“Let me also remind that her name has been included to the list of the foreign citizens whose entrance to Azerbaijan is denied because of her unauthorized visit to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan back in 2013 in her capacity as the Minister of Transport of Australia,” she noted.
“In general, the Armenian lobby groups in Australia are concerned over the growing bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Australia and are trying to take steps to damage this relationship,” she said. “But I would like to emphasize that the groundless activities of these groups will not be able to undermine developing relations between Azerbaijan and Australia.”
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