Leyla Abdullayeva's Statement on Ilham Aliyev's Remarks Regarding the Zangezur Corridor

The official representative of Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, Leyla Abdullayeva, stated that there is no threat to Armenia's territorial integrity in Ilham Aliyev's remarks about the Zangezur corridor.

On Tuesday, Aliyev threatened Yerevan with resolving the issue of constructing the Zangezur corridor through Armenia by "force," if the Armenian side refuses to do so voluntarily. The president refers to Zangezur and Yerevan as Azerbaijan's "historical lands" and points out that the Azerbaijani people have the right to return there.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry classified Aliyev's statements and the possibility of a forceful solution to the Zangezur corridor problem as an encroachment on the country's territorial integrity.

"As always, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan clearly articulated his position. If the Armenian Foreign Ministry wants to present what it hears in a way that suits them, it already shows their malicious intentions. We would like to draw attention to his remarks made during an interview on April 20, where the President spoke about possible revanchism by Armenia against Azerbaijan and potential threats to our territorial integrity, as this is a matter of 'national defense and national security,'" Abdullayeva told RIA Novosti.

"It is not a threat to Armenia's territorial integrity, as the Armenian Foreign Ministry claims, but rather a manifestation of our determination to respond to any threats to our territorial integrity within Azerbaijan's internationally recognized borders," stated the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry representative. She noted that "Azerbaijan is ready for cooperation," emphasizing that "we should look to the future."

"As has been repeatedly mentioned at the highest levels, Azerbaijan is prepared to normalize relations with Armenia based on international law, particularly the sovereignty of states, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders. The implementation of the trilateral statements signed on November 10, 2020, and January 11, 2021, also serves this purpose," she emphasized, adding that Yerevan is trying to mislead the international community with its lies and slanders instead of fulfilling the trilateral statement.