In the interview, Elchin Amirbayov highlighted the fact that Azerbaijan is a tolerant country which has become an international centre of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, the successful implementation of the international intercultural dialogue called the "Baku Process".
Also, the interview covered the implementation of successful economic policies by Azerbaijan after gaining independence and the significance of Azerbaijan in providing Europe’s energy security and leading strategic international oil and gas export pipeline projects, as well as East-West and North-South transport-transit projects.
“In 2011, Azerbaijan was elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and currently successfully chairs the Non-Aligned Movement Organization which is the largest international organization after the UN. It is also proved that the international role of Azerbaijan, which is a reliable, independent and impartial partner, grows”, Elchin Amirbayov noted in his interview.
Amirbayov particularly focused on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the history of the conflict, the occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's territories, including the historical Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions by Armenia, ethnic cleansing policy and the Khojaly genocide, as well as the falsification of history and events in the interview.
“As a result of this ethnic cleansing, one million people became refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan, their fundamental human rights have been grossly violated for nearly 30 years. Despite the statements on peaceful implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions and the OSCE Minsk Group, which was established to achieve the solution to the solution and its co-chairs, Russia, France and the United States, that stated that the status quo is unacceptable, Armenia seriously hindered the peaceful settlement of the conflict ignoring the appeals of the co-chairs and international law, and taking a non-constructive approach to negotiations”, the interview says.
Assistant to the First VP of Azerbaijan noted that during this period, Armenia has always committed provocations, including in negotiations and military sphere. “The last such military provocation took place on September 27 and the Azerbaijani army carried out a counter-attack in response to Armenia’s military provocation”.
Elchin Amirbayov accused Pashinyan in these provocations stating that Armenia commits war crimes deliberately targeting civilians and infrastructure in Azerbaijan’s cities, including cities far from the conflict zone in gross violation of international humanitarian law.
“As a result of these crimes, to date, 65 civilians, including 10 children, were killed and 292 got wounded and more than 2,000 homes destroyed. Pashinyan aims to involve the CSTO countries in this conflict by committing these provocations.
The ceasefire is not a solution to the conflict, which will not last long unless the solution to the conflict is not achieved. Azerbaijan insists on the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh following the relevant UNSC resolutions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Azerbaijan considers the civilian population living in Karabakh its citizens and is ready to ensure their security”, Amirbayov highlighted.
He also stressed Azerbaijan’s readiness for substantive talks saying that unfortunately, Armenian PM excludes a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
“According to UN Security Council resolutions, Armenia must immediately withdraw its troops from Azerbaijani territories and put an end to the illegal occupation of Azerbaijan's ancient lands”, he added.
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