Armenian Foreign Ministry Responds to Baku Statement

The spokesperson for Armenia's Foreign Ministry, Ani Badalyan, has responded to statements made by the spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, who accused Armenia of negligence regarding the commitments assumed in the trilateral statement of November 9, in the context of unblocking regional communications. Badalyan's comments were made during an interview with Armenpress.

Question - Ms. Badalyan, the spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry addressed comments made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the conference titled “Peace Intersection: Uniting Security and Democracy,” regarding several provisions of the November 9 trilateral statement, labeling them as distorting reality, and accused the Republic of Armenia of negligence towards the commitments assumed. How do you comment on the statements made by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson?

Answer - We must look at the facts. The trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, stipulates that there will be Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as a 5 km wide Lachin corridor under the control of Russian peacekeepers, but neither the Lachin corridor exists, nor do Russian peacekeepers.

The trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, also stipulates that internally displaced persons and refugees will return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, but Azerbaijan claims that there is no territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which essentially means a refusal to fulfill this obligation stipulated in the trilateral statement. No Armenian refugee or internally displaced person has returned to either the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh or adjacent areas to date.

The trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, also specifies the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons. To this day, Armenians, including those captured in November or October 2020, are held in Azerbaijani prisons. Azerbaijan claims that they are not prisoners of war. If they are not prisoners of war, then they are hostages or other detained persons; the phrasing of the trilateral statement refers to any person who is in captivity.

Azerbaijan constantly raises the issue of missing persons. The Republic of Armenia also raises this issue because, as a result of two wars, around a thousand missing persons are also from the Armenian side, and we are ready to cooperate on this issue as well.

Regarding point 9 of the trilateral statement, it stipulates that the Republic of Armenia organizes the passage of goods, vehicles, and people within its territory and guarantees their safety. This is clearly stated in the statement. It is understood that the Republic of Armenia must do this within the framework of its jurisdiction and sovereignty.

Regarding the physical presence of the Russian Federal Security Service border guards, their physical presence is not stipulated by point 9 of the trilateral statement.

The Armenian government’s “Peace Intersection” project accurately reflects the roadmap for fulfilling the commitments of the Republic of Armenia, within which we have submitted proposals to the Azerbaijani side. Being interested in unblocking all transportation and economic infrastructures in the region, which is actually envisaged by the trilateral statement, we have proposed and continue to propose that Azerbaijan begin the process of implementation of unblocking as soon as possible.