YEREVAN — Armenia has proposed to Azerbaijan the immediate commencement of unblocking communications, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated in comments to Armenpress.
The Armenian side responded to a recent statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, which falsely accused Armenia of “negligence” regarding its obligations under the November 9, 2020, trilateral statement in the context of unblocking regional communications.
Commenting on the remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the Crossroads of Peace, Combining Security and Democracy conference, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry described the observations as a “distortion of reality” and again falsely accused Armenia of neglecting its obligations.
“First, we should look at the facts. The November 9, 2020, trilateral statement provides for Russian peacekeepers to be stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, and a 5km-wide Lachin Corridor under their control. However, there is currently neither a Lachin Corridor nor Russian peacekeepers,” Badalyan reminded.
She continued, “The trilateral statement also envisions the return of internally displaced persons and refugees to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, Azerbaijan claims that there is no Nagorno-Karabakh territory, which essentially means a refusal to fulfill this obligation. To date, not a single Armenian refugee or internally displaced person has returned to either Nagorno-Karabakh or its surrounding areas.”
Badalyan also pointed out that the trilateral statement includes the exchange of prisoners of war, hostages, and other detainees. “To this day, Armenians are still held in Azerbaijani prisons, including those captured in November or October of 2020. Azerbaijan asserts these individuals are not prisoners of war. If they are not prisoners of war, then they are hostages or other detained persons, as the trilateral statement covers any incarcerated individual,” she explained.
She further addressed the issue of missing persons, noting, “Azerbaijan has frequently raised concerns about missing persons, and Armenia has done the same. The Armenian side has nearly one thousand missing persons as a result of the two wars, and we are ready to cooperate on this issue as well.”
Regarding Article 9 of the trilateral statement, Badalyan emphasized that it envisions “the Republic of Armenia organizing the passage of cargo, vehicles, and persons within its territory and guaranteeing their security.” She stressed, “This is clearly stated in the document, and it is evident that Armenia will do so within the framework of its jurisdiction and sovereignty. The article does not provide for the physical presence of Russian FSB border guards.”
Badalyan concluded by highlighting that the Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace project accurately reflects the roadmap for fulfilling Armenia’s obligations. “We have conveyed proposals to Azerbaijan within this framework. Being committed to unblocking all transport and economic infrastructures in the region, as envisaged in the trilateral statement, we have proposed and continue to propose that Azerbaijan start the unblocking process without delay,” she said.