Azerbaijan always relies on international law, presidential aide says

© Photo: Maria Novoselova/ Vestnik Kavkaza

The norms and principles of international law always underlie all of Azerbaijan’s actions, Hikmet Hajiyev said. He recalled that it was Armenia that occupied foreign territories.

Armenia has always been an occupying country, and Azerbaijan has acted solely based on the norms and principles of international law, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said.

“Azerbaijan has always followed the norms and principles of international law and has been guided by this criterion in its relations with neighboring states. Armenia was an occupying country,”

– the diplomat said.

The presidential aide recalled that after World War II, the number of countries that were occupiers and aggressors was small, but Armenia was among them.

In this regard, Hikmet Hajiyev cited the situation after the war between Iraq and Kuwait. Certain restrictions were imposed on the development of the Iraqi Armed Forces.

"We believe that such proportional restrictions should also be applied to the Armenian Armed Forces,”

– the diplomat said.

The assistant to the President of Azerbaijan also criticized Nikol Pashinyan's statement regarding the liquidation of the Minsk Group, explaining that thus, the Prime Minister once again resorted to lies and distortions. Hikmet Hajiyev emphasized that the Minsk Group is no longer needed, and the time has come to abolish it.

"The fact that Armenia keeps this institution on the agenda and continues efforts in this direction suggests that Yerevan is trying to create the impression of an unfinished conflict, and together with its Western supporters is trying to hold on to a certain means of influence in its hands,”

– Hajiyev said.

Another issue that the assistant to the President touched upon was Pashinyan's comparison of the Armenia and Azerbaijan’s constitutions. Hajiyev recalled that the Constitution of Armenia, according to the act of independence, contains a clause with territorial claims to Azerbaijan. As long as it remains part of the basic law of Armenia, reaching a peace treaty will be associated with significant difficulties.

"And the Armenian society itself, by changing the Constitution, excluding this clause, this reference, must show its desire to live in peace. The Constitution of Azerbaijan did not contain territorial claims to any state, and this is a document reflecting the will of the Azerbaijani people,”

- the diplomat said.

Hajiev emphasized that Pashinyan, making such a comparison, is playing with words, and called on the Prime Minister and the entire Armenian political leadership to engage in a real peace agenda with the participation of the regional countries.