Azernews.Az

Armenian leadership is trying to mislead the international community and use all kinds of tricks to avoid the peace process and resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman told Trend news agency.

Elman Abdullayev was commenting on a recent statement by President Serzh Sargsyan, who accused Azerbaijan of bracing up for war in an interview with Reuters.

"Not Azerbaijani armed forces are in the territory of Armenia, but Armenian armed forces are in the territory of Azerbaijan," Abdullayev said, referring to the occupation of 20 percent of his country's territories, which has persisted since a war in the early 1990s.

According to Abdullayev, the Armenian government is composed of people who committed crimes against Azerbaijani people.

"The international community has recognized Armenia as an aggressor," he said. "Examples of this include many resolutions of international organizations, whereby Armenia is labeled an aggressor and invader and called upon to free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan."

Abdullayev said Armenia's aggressive actions directly threaten peace and security in the region.

"Azerbaijan will never accept the status quo [in the conflict], and sooner or later will restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Armenians also know this," he said.

Abdullayev noted that the status quo is also unacceptable for the international community and co-chair countries of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group have repeatedly confirmed it.

"With regard to Sargsyan's statement -- it is of populist nature, was made on the eve of presidential elections, and aims to rally the support of radical and extreme nationalist circles of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora," the ministry spokesman said.