The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has commented on the statement by the spokesperson of Charles Michel, President of the European Council regarding the situation in the region.

“We took note of the statement by the spokesperson of Charles Michel, President of the European Council regarding the situation in the region dated September 1, 2023.

As it was stated by the European Union, the issues of delivery of cargo to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan by various routes, as well as intensification of usage of the Lachin road in parallel with the use of the Aghdam-Khankendi road were agreed as a result of negotiations at the trilateral meeting held in Brussels on July 15, 2023 between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Notwithstanding this, Armenia’s backstepping from the reached agreements through its illegally installed puppet regime by introducing illegitimate preconditions and various pretexts, prevented implementation of the mentioned agreement.

We would also like to remind that despite the fact that at the beginning of August of this year, an agreement was reached on the organization of a meeting between the special representative of Azerbaijan and representatives of local Armenian residents, Armenia refused this meeting at a last moment.

Unfortunately, from July 15 to today, Armenia and its puppet regime continuing to impede the implementation and promotion of this agenda agreed within the framework of the abovementioned trilateral meeting undermine the efforts of the European Union and other international partners in this direction.

Azerbaijan offered a peace to Armenia based on equal and reciprocal respect for legitimate interests of both sides through mutual recognition of and respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. On another track, Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region as equal citizens guaranteeing all the rights and freedoms envisaged in the Constitution of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, against the backdrop of the ongoing military-political provocations of Armenia, Azerbaijan’s adherence to both these tracks is without prejudice to its right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by all legitimate means safeguarded in the UN Charter and other universal international law instruments,” the ministry said.