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Sabina Mammadli

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Armenia's interference in the process of reintegration of Armenians living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh is unacceptable, Azernews reports, citing Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ayxan Hajizada.

Responding to remarks by Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan that the draft peace agreement included the "creation of an international mechanism to discuss the rights and security of Armenians living in Karabakh", Hajizada stated that such manipulations impede the negotiation process and demonstrate Armenia’s lack of interest in establishing peace in the region.

"In the course of the peace agreement negotiations, Armenia's initiative to `create an international mechanism for the protection of the rights and security" of the Armenian residents living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh, and efforts to include this in the draft agreement, are completely groundless, and such attempts will not result in anything,” the official said.

According to the minister, such statements indicate that Armenia has not yet given up its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, contrary to the norms and principles of international law and the Prague and Sochi agreements which mutually recognized each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The minister once again recalled that Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan, hence the rights and security of Armenians living in the region will be ensured in accordance with the Azerbaijani constitution.

Azerbaijan has previously numerously stated that it is determined to provide its citizens of Armenian origin with the same rights and freedoms as all the citizens of the country.

Addressing the 29th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that Azerbaijan’s constitution provides a solid legal framework in this regard, adding that increased dialogue and contacts over the past months between central Azerbaijani authorities and local ethnic Armenian residents need to be encouraged and sustained.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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