Commentary of the MFA Spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada regarding remarks by Peter Stano, Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union

Peter Stano's remarks regarding Azerbaijan during an interview with the news agency "Armenpress" in Brussels on November 17, 2023 are just another indication of the European Union representative's open bias.

It is unfortunate that the European Union representative ignored the facts of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity being violated for 30 years by invading and aggressive Armenia, the policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis, and the fact that over 1 million Azerbaijanis have become internally displaced and refugees.

We remind the EU representative that the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as the 2023 September 24-hour anti-terror measures, were carried out in Azerbaijan's sovereign territories in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, and that Azerbaijan regained its sovereignty through legitimate means.

It is unacceptable for the EU representative to accuse Azerbaijan of unilateral military action, despite the fact that Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the Armenian Armed Forces, which were illegally present in our territories at the time, posed a significant threat in the region and has made numerous calls for their immediate withdrawal in accordance with international law. 

We consider the EU representative's remarks about the initiative to establish an international mechanism for the rights and security of Armenian residents linked to the personal choice driven migration of Armenian residents living in Azerbaijan's Garabagh region to Armenia to be an intervention in the reintegration process carried out by Azerbaijan. Garabagh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and the rights and security of the Armenian-origin population residing in this territory will be safeguarded in line with Azerbaijan's Constitution.

We underline once more Azerbaijan's strong commitment to the agenda of normalization and peace with Armenia, which has been evidenced by persistent actions undertaken by us as the initiator of the peace treaty process since November 2020.