There Is No ‘Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh’; They Have Invented It in Their Dreams – Aliyev

Their decision to leave their homes was primarily their own (the Armenians of Karabakh – ed.). This was stated by President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with Euronews. The information was reported by Azerbaijani media.

"Our public communication with the Armenians of Karabakh, as well as what we did afterwards, demonstrated that we wanted them to stay. We openly stated this. And after the completion of the anti-terrorist operation, I said in my address to the Azerbaijani people that they could remain," Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader noted, "Everyone who wishes to return has the right to do so. Their property is properly protected. All historical and religious sites are under proper preservation. In order to return, they need to adhere to certain rules. I spoke about this many months before the start of the anti-terrorist operation. Those who wish to stay must apply for Azerbaijani citizenship. They cannot live in Azerbaijan claiming that they are living in the so-called ‘Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,’ as such a republic does not exist. They have invented it in their dreams, in their myths. Therefore, if they want to live in Azerbaijan as Azerbaijani citizens, of course, they can do so."

At the same time, according to Aliyev, Armenia is artificially delaying the peace process. "The optimism around reaching peace and signing a peace treaty has diminished by the end of the year. But I believe that the timelines are not so important here. What matters is the agenda of the two countries. It is Azerbaijan that has been subjected to occupation and ethnic cleansing. One million Azerbaijanis were displaced by the Armenian government, and almost 15 thousand square kilometers of territory were emptied," he stated.

According to the country's leader, if the peace agreement is not signed, it will be very detrimental to the entire region. "We want the South Caucasus region to be protected from any risks. And, of course, we want Armenia to never question our territorial integrity today or in the future and to fully abandon any territorial claims against Azerbaijan," Aliyev emphasized.

He noted that during almost three years of negotiations, Armenia has consistently sought to include provisions related to the Armenian minority in Karabakh in the peace agreement. "Since they want the issue of the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan included, let’s also include the issue of the Azerbaijani minority expelled from Armenia thirty years ago. The number of Azerbaijanis in Armenia was much greater than the number of Armenians in Azerbaijan – almost 300 thousand people. In other words, our position is that this should be reciprocal. And it does not matter that the Azerbaijanis were expelled thirty years ago, while the Armenians decided to leave two months ago," he added.