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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan has strongly rejected the March 18, 2025, statement by the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office, which it says contains unfounded allegations and distorts the realities of recent border incidents, Azernews reports.

Aykhan Hajizadeh, spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made these remarks while responding to the Armenian PM’s statement regarding the border shooting and other anti-Azerbaijani claims, Azernews reports.

Hajizadeh emphasized that Armenian military provocations, which have been documented in video footage, pose a direct threat to regional stability.

"An end to the cases of firing declared by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the open provocations of Armenian military personnel, which are also visible in the video footage, of which the Armenian side is also aware, is a necessary condition for stability," he stated.

He criticized Yerevan’s approach, saying: "Instead of demonstrating goodwill and putting an end to such provocations, the abstract and practically impossible proposals of the Armenian side have no basis, as they have during the nearly 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia. This is reminiscent of the proposals put forward by the Minsk Group co-chairs, instead of calling for an end to the occupation."

Hajizadeh questioned Armenia’s so-called peace agenda, pointing to its military buildup along the border.

"If the Armenian government is guided by a peace agenda, as the Prime Minister's Office has stated, then it would be appropriate for it to explain how the massive militarization, including the deployment of offensive weapons in border areas, serves such an agenda," he noted.

On the peace treaty negotiations, he stressed that Azerbaijan has led the process since early 2022, despite Armenian delays and obstacles.

"Regarding Armenia's alleged goodwill in finalizing the text of the agreement on peace and the establishment of interstate relations between the two countries, it is worth recalling the fact that Armenia has violated the process by all means, despite the fact that Azerbaijan took the first steps with a proposal to work on a peace agreement as early as early 2022," Hajizadeh said.

He further stated: "Let us also note that despite the numerous challenges made by Armenia in the negotiations, including its refusal to withdraw its remaining forces from the territories of Azerbaijan and its promotion of the regime they have established in our territories, it was precisely thanks to Azerbaijan's efforts and measures that such an achievement was achieved in the process."

Azerbaijan once again called on Armenia to amend its constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

"At the same time, despite being aware of our long-standing demand to amend the constitution to end territorial claims against Azerbaijan, Armenia's disregard for this call is extremely worrying. We once again draw attention to Azerbaijan's principled position that the main condition for signing the negotiated text is to amend the Armenian constitution in order to eliminate claims against Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he emphasized.

Additionally, Hajizadeh reiterated Baku’s call to officially abolish the OSCE Minsk Group, which he described as "outdated and dysfunctional."

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also criticized Armenia’s record on international arms control.

"Armenia, as a country that has grossly violated its obligations under international treaties and arms control mechanisms to which it is a party for nearly 30 years, committed aggression against Azerbaijan, and hid most of its military equipment and weapon systems from international arms control mechanisms during the occupation of our territories by illegally placing them on our territory, has no moral right to talk about such mechanisms," Hajizadeh stated.

Regarding regional communications, Hajizadeh accused Armenia of failing to fulfill its obligations for four years on opening a transit corridor between western Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

"Regarding the issue of opening communications, despite its written and signed commitments regarding the opening of communications connecting the western regions of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Armenia has not fulfilled these commitments for 4 years. Instead, in order to divert attention from the process and its obligations, they have put forward proposals on essentially irrelevant, difficult to implement and practically long routes," he said.

"If the Armenian side is truly interested in opening communications in the region, it should not shirk its obligations and take practical steps towards opening communications in accordance with the new realities in the region," he added.

Despite these challenges, Azerbaijan reaffirmed its commitment to peace efforts and its determination to counter any steps undermining the process.

"Azerbaijan will continue its peace efforts in all directions and will resolutely prevent steps against this process," Hajizadeh concluded.