BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 28. A number of statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at an online press conference on the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, on June 27, cast doubt on the country's desire to establish lasting regional peace, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
According to the statement, the fact that the leader of the country, which has been keeping the part of Azerbaijan's territories under military occupation for almost 30 years, accuses Azerbaijan of pursuing a blockade policy during these years, does not fit into any legal and moral framework.
"Azerbaijan has been the initiator of the normalization process between the two countries since the liberation of its territories, despite the aggressive policy of Armenia. It was the President of Azerbaijan who proposed signing a peace agreement on the basis of strict adherence to the principles of international law at the post conflict stage," stated the ministry.
Moreover, the Azerbaijani side laid out the basic principles on which the agreement should be based. If Azerbaijan wanted a war, as Pashinyan claims, these steps would probably not be needed. If Azerbaijan wanted a war, it would not have made great efforts to rebuild the lands destroyed by Armenia for 30 years.
The Azerbaijani side not only makes verbal statements on the delimitation of borders between the two countries, opening of all communications in the region and signing of a future peace agreement, but also implements own statements through its actions. It was the Azerbaijani side that has said that the establishment of normal relations in the region would be beneficial to Armenia. The fact that the Armenian side finally realized this and the Prime Minister’s statement that “the opening of communications is beneficial for Armenia” attracts attention as a new approach of Armenian leadership, said the statement.
The statement also noted that Armenia sends sabotage groups to the Azerbaijani territories, doesn't withdraw its illegal armed groups, and delays the opening of communications, thereby grossly violating the requirements of the trilateral statements.
"The Prime Minister of Armenia, without elaborating on the specific situation he refers to, claims that "the Azerbaijani side boycotted the meeting at least once". If we start listing the meetings that have been proposed so far with the participation of international mediators in the post-conflict phase and were violated by Armenia under various pretexts, the list will be very long," the ministry emphasized.
As the statement noted, if Armenia really wants peace, it must show its political will and take specific steps towards it.