“Baku considers the Constitution of Armenia, which calls into question the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement with Yerevan.”
Oku.Az It reports that these words were spoken by Hikmat Hajiyev, head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan (AP), assistant to the President, in an interview with the newspaper “La Repubblica”.
“We are closer than ever to peace, but there are still obstacles that prevent us from moving forward. The first of them is the Armenian Constitution, since the part of the main law confirming independence contains a provision indicating the annexation of the territories Azerbaijanis from Karabakh to Armenia “We want to achieve peace with the Armenian population, which must demand a referendum on the renunciation of the territories of Azerbaijan,” stressed H. Hajiyev.
Hikmat Hajiyev continued his opinion that it is important for Azerbaijan to eliminate revenge that harms peace in the region.
“A referendum should be held and, as a result of this referendum, Armenians should demonstrate that they do not support the claims over Karabakh.”
He also noted that Armenia’s weaponry must be responsible and proportionate.
H. Hajiyev also expressed concern about Yerevan’s purchase of long-range missiles from France that can be used to attack cities in Azerbaijan:
“The best solution for Armenia would be neutrality, not the creation of military alliances against Azerbaijan.”
According to H. Hajiyev, Baku is witnessing attempts by some Western countries with colonial experience, including France, to wrongly support Armenia in its revanchist aspirations.
“This in no way benefits Europe,” stressed Hikmat Hajiyev.
The assistant to the president of Azerbaijan also stressed that Baku, in turn, considers self-defense as its legitimate right.
H. Hajiyev also admitted that eliminating interethnic conflict is very difficult and takes time.
“The ancestors of many Azerbaijanis are from the lands of present-day Armenia, including Iravan, which was historically the city of Azerbaijan before it became part of the Russian Empire.
“Azerbaijanis whose origins are from this area should have the right to return to their ancestral homeland. But this does not mean territorial claims or violation of Armenia’s sovereignty,” H. Hajiyev concluded.
