Azernews.Az

BAKU – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has claimed that Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno Karabakh region will "undoubtedly" become independent, like South Sudan, a statement quickly dismissed by the Azerbaijani government.

Sargsyan said in an annual meeting of Armenian ambassadors in Yerevan on Monday that it was allegedly inevitable that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will end with the independence of the region, where ethnic Armenians are running a self-proclaimed republic, though he "can’t speak about any softening in Azerbaijan’s stance in the negotiation process".

Novruz Mammadov, the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration official in charge of foreign relations, labeled Sargsyan’s statement "nonsensical" and "unpresidential".

Mammadov told Radio Liberty that Sargsyan's attempt to compare the situation in Nagorno Karabakh to the recognition of South Sudan as the world's newest country "does not correspond to international law or a realistic understanding of the political situation."

"On the one hand, Sargsyan is holding talks [on settling the Karabakh conflict] and talking about international law, while on the other hand, he is making nonsensical statements…Sooner or later, he will get an adequate response to his behavior."

Sudan, which was previously governed by Britain and Egypt, declared independence on January 1, 1956. From 1989, there had been armed conflict between the North and South of the country.

Peace talks held in 2002-2004 led to the signing of a peace accord in January 2005 in Kenya. The agreement granted the South a high-level autonomy for six years, with a subsequent referendum to determine the territory’s status. The vote, held in January 2011, resulted in the establishment of South Sudan.

Mammadov also responded to Sargsyan's statement that in case of a military conflict over Karabakh, Armenia would "not hesitate to force the enemy to ask for peace."

"This is Armenia's biggest worry," Mammadov said. "Because [the Armenians] know sooner or later Azerbaijan will get its territory back. Under the current geopolitical conditions Armenia is not going to be able to preserve its [military] advantage over the long term."

Armenian forces fought a bloody war with Azerbaijan from 1991-94 for control over Nagorno Karabakh. Armenian forces also occupy large Azerbaijani territories adjoining Karabakh.