BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, on another occasion, made groundless allegations about the situation in the region in his interview with Le Monde, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said in a statement, Trend reports.
Identification by the Prime Minister of Armenia of a puppet regime established by Armenia through the gravest war crimes targeted against humanity, including ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Azerbaijani population of the region, as "democratically elected authorities" is a vivid example of a continuing policy of aggression and actions by Armenian officials. This assertion by the Prime Minister of Armenia is also in clear contradiction with the statement that "Armenia recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including Karabakh."
Armenia, as a country that supports aggression policies and separatism while demanding the removal of the Lachin border checkpoint that hinders the illegal activities against Azerbaijan in the region, has to understand that the establishment of a checkpoint in Lachin is completely in line with international law. This measure was undertaken to prevent the malign actions of Armenia, and the existence of the checkpoint is not a subject of discussion. Also, the International Court of Justice, while rejecting Armenia’s request in its Order of July 6, once again confirmed that Azerbaijan’s measure to establish a checkpoint on the border is a sovereign and legitimate decision.
Moreover, the refusal by the Armenian side of the initiative and the proposal by the Azerbaijani side to use the "Aghdam-Khankandi" road to meet the needs of the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region that were positively met by the international actors, including the European Council President Charles Michel, demonstrate that allegations about a "grave humanitarian situation" in the region do not reflect reality. This is also an indication of Armenia’s intention to misuse the current situation as political blackmail. Armenia pursues the continuation of illegal activities in the territory of Azerbaijan.
Dissemination by the Armenian Prime Minister of allegations about the "blockade," while turning a blind eye to the activities of the International Red Cross Committee in the region, the passage of dozens of Armenian residents through the checkpoint in both directions on a daily basis, and the initiation by Azerbaijan about using alternative routes, including the "Aghdam-Khankandi" road, is an attempt at manipulation of international public opinion.
"It is absurd and hypocritical that Armenia, while being a country grossly violating all the norms and principles of international law for 30 years, ignoring four UN Security Council Resolutions, as well as warnings by international organizations against Armenian aggression and a policy of ethnic cleansing towards Azerbaijan, calls for measures against Azerbaijan at the international level," the MFA said.
Ending attempts by Armenian officials to intervene in the reintegration measures of Armenians living in their sovereign territories of Azerbaijan and unconditional confirmation of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity by Armenia, both in words and deeds, are the most necessary conditions to ensure peace in the region.
It is absolutely unacceptable for the Armenian leadership to condition the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan under any pretext; it is a blow to the efforts aimed at the normalization of relations between the two countries and serves to maintain tension in the region.
The Armenian side must finally understand that its efforts to obstruct the restoration of peace and stability in the region will not yield any results.
"We call on the Armenian side to put an end to provocative actions and statements and to comply with its international obligations," the MFA said in a statement.