The Azerbaijani foreign minister also commented on the recent statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry that Russian citizens of Armenian origins face problems entering Baku.
“The fact that these reports came at the same time as the merciless killing of a 2-year-old girl and her grandmother by Armenian armed forces has sparked outrage, as well as surprise and confusion, in Azerbaijani society,” he said.
Having 20 percent of its territory occupied by Armenia, Azerbaijan is rightly sensitive about this issue, Mammadyarov noted.
"First of all, it is necessary to give an impetus to the negotiation process and at least gradually withdraw Armenian troops from the occupied territories. This will allow internally displaced persons to return to their homes,” the minister said. “In parallel, security issues will be resolved, the economic factor will take effect, people will grow in confidence, and doubts and resentments between Armenians and Azerbaijanis will gradually disappear.”
“Otherwise, we get the impression that they want to force us to accept the situation as a fait accompli. Incidentally, a number of people of Armenian origin who citizens of different countries, including Armenia, have made visits to Azerbaijan many times for various purposes. However, all those visits have been previously agreed and arranged. There has been no problem. We have tried to convey this to the Russian side through diplomatic channels,” Mammadyarov added.
More about: #Russia #Azerbaijan