Nagorno Garabagh

Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Issues Department of the Administration Hikmat Hajiyev’s interview with APA

– President Ilham Aliyev said at the inauguration of Balaken regional “ASAN service” center no negotiations will be held with the brigand, criminal regime. Is the suspension of the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan possible in the present conditions?

– The Republic of Azerbaijan is committed to the process of solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict via the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. We think that this activity should be implemented on the basis of the documents making up the basis of the mandate of the Minsk Group co-chairs especially the decisions of the OSCE Budapest summit and the resolutions of the UN Security Council. But the issue raised by the Republic of Azerbaijan is that as a result of the process of negotiations, the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan should be ensured. In other words, the goals put forward on the basis of this mandate haven’t been implemented. Meanwhile, in this case, the main purpose is that the occupied lands of Azerbaijan should be liberated from occupation as a result of the process of negotiations. As is seen, Armenia approaches the negotiations process with hypocrisy. Armenia tries to delay and even protract the process of negotiations under the title of the ceasefire regime. Armenia’s goal is to strengthen the status-quo based on occupation. Therefore, Azerbaijan’s expectation is the withdrawal of the Armenian troops from the Azerbaijani territory within the concrete time envisaged in the program about urgent and pressing steps drawn up in the middle of 1990-ies on the basis of the serious and concrete agenda based on the mandate falling on the Minsk Group co-chairs and the resolution of the UN Security Council. Why this plan is not implemented?!

If we look at Armenia’s rhetoric today, we can see that they are still engaged in deceiving the international community. They deliberately bring again the issues of strengthening the ceasefire regime to agenda. After all, the purpose here is not strengthening the ceasefire, but to put an end to occupation fact, military occupation. It should stand in the essence of the negotiations process too. The Republic of Azerbaijan has implemented all constructive attempts starting from Dushanbe meeting- September 2018, for preparation of the negotiations on an intensive basis. But in return, we saw Armenia’s destructive and provocative steps. Armenia tries to disrupt the format of the negotiations process, destroys the essence of the negotiations process. It approaches disrespectful to co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group. As a continuation of Armenia’s aggressive policy, we saw the next attack, provocation in Tovuz. In the circumstances in which these happen the activity of Armenia should be evaluated by the international community, co-chairs, the negotiations should be conducted on a concrete basis.

– Did Azerbaijan set any conditions for this? Has any issue been raised before the OSCE Minsk Group?

– One of the points put forward by Azerbaijan is that the co-chairs should consider their activities to address issues arising from their mandate. Also should not allow Armenia to violate the principles already established in the negotiation process and to impose certain conditions. The Armenian Prime Minister put forward 7 conditions before the Azerbaijani side. This is a very serious blow to the negotiation process. There is no basis for Armenia to set any conditions in the talks. Azerbaijan also wants 11 members of the OSCE Minsk Group to take an active part in the process. Meetings with the participation of all of them, wide-ranging meetings of the Minsk Group should be held. The most important point is that the occupation must end and Armenian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The people in the military-political leadership of Armenia must finally understand their responsibilities. They must understand that they are personally responsible for this occupation.