Foreign Ministry's Response to Azerbaijan's Territorial Demands Against Armenia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has responded to the statement made by a representative of Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, which contains territorial demands against Armenia. In response to a question from Armenpress, the Ministry's Department of Information and Public Diplomacy stated:

“By presenting territorial and historical unfounded demands against Armenia, the Azerbaijani side is attempting to remove the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from the international agenda on one hand, while creating new threats to regional security and stability on the other. In trying to justify such a fabricated agenda, the Azerbaijani side does not shy away from attributing blatant fabrications to the November 9 trilateral statement. If we proceed from the logic of Azerbaijan's interpretation regarding the return of displaced persons enshrined in the aforementioned document, then Armenian refugees should return to Nakhchivan, Ganja, Baku, Sumgait, and other currently depopulated areas of Azerbaijan.

As for the historical claims made by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson against Armenia, it is difficult for us to comprehend Azerbaijan's criteria for “historical” characterization. We are compelled to remind once again that history can never be the strong side of a country whose geographical and political name has a century-long history, whereas the Azerbaijani name is even newer than that.

The Azerbaijani leadership’s efforts to sow and maintain lasting enmity between the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples pose a constant threat to regional peace and security. Before accusing Armenia of revanchism, Azerbaijan should explain to the international community the meaning of Baku’s “strategic park,” which is nothing more than a shameful “monument” of revanchism and inhumanity.

Armenia will continue to consistently advocate for the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, the de-occupation of Artsakh territories subjected to ethnic cleansing, and the return of the Armenian population to these territories in accordance with the November 9 trilateral statement. Only the resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace settlement process under the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group can create the preconditions for lasting peace in the region.”