Commentary of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the groundless statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on the situation in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan dated March 28, 2022

We firmly reject the completely untrue and slanderous statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry on the situation in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

First of all, we remind the Armenian side that the comments made about the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan are an attempt by this country to interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan and violation of international law. Armenia, which forcibly kept part of the territories of Azerbaijan under military occupation for nearly 30 years, ethnically cleansing more than a million Azerbaijanis and depriving them of the right to live in their homes, has apparently become accustomed to violating international law.

Accusing Azerbaijan of failing to comply with the trilateral statement of November 9/10, 2020, Armenia, despite the cooperation opportunities in the region in the post-conflict period, violates the provisions of the joint statement and thus undermines the process of normalization of relations between the two countries.

It is Armenia that continues its open territorial claims against Azerbaijan in the post-conflict phase, and raises this issue, including at the level of the Foreign Ministry, in every statement made in connection with the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. It is Armenia that, contrary to paragraph 4 of the trilateral statement, still does not withdraw the remnants of the Armenian armed forces from the region. Armenia continues to send servicemen to the region via the Lachin corridor, in violation of Article 6 of the statement. This fact has been confirmed by the international media.

We would like to emphasize that the demand of the Azerbaijani side is not for its citizens of Armenian origin living in the Karabakh region of the country, but for the removal of the remnants of illegal Armenian military units from the region, as envisaged by the trilateral statement. The Armenian Foreign Ministry's deliberate distortion of this issue under the guise of "ethnic cleansing" exposes Armenia's true intentions.

On what grounds does Armenia, the country which for almost 30 years kept the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan in a gas blockade, carried out ecocide and culturecide in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and prevented the arrival of international missions to these territories, now call on the international community?!

Armenia, which is making false appeal to the international community based on fabricated accusations, must understand that ensuring peace and stability in the region depends only on the unconditional implementation of all the provisions of the trilateral statement. All other steps taken by Armenia, contrary to the joint statement, will only hinder the peace-building process.

As for the issues related to Russian peacekeepers temporarily deployed on the territory of Azerbaijan, the relevant statements of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan provided detailed information.