Foreign ministry says Armenian president exacerbating 'already difficult situation'
Controversial and aggressive statements made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan suggest that the leadership of this country has no vision for the future, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev said at a news briefing, commenting on a speech by President Sargsyan against Azerbaijan in Yerevan on Tuesday, Trend news agency reported.
"It seems that the Armenian president is exacerbating an already difficult situation for satisfaction of his own selfish purposes, and for the approval of certain interested parties inside and outside of Armenia," Abdullayev said.
Abdullayev said that despite Sargsyan's efforts aimed at
creating visibility of deepening hostility between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, pragmatic and far-sighted strategy of Azerbaijan will
serve as a real counterweight to that.
"Azerbaijan has always been and will be a center of tolerance and
peaceful co-existence of different nations, regardless of religion.
Currently, our country is home to 30,000 Armenians," Abdullayev
said.
According to him, Sargsyan seemingly uses aggressive rhetoric in
order to inflict even more damage to the region's development.
Contradictory statements of Sargsyan speak of his true intentions,
Abdullayev said.
"Trying to put itself as an innocent victim, Armenia continues to flagrantly violate international law. Armenia is an aggressor and the international community has recognized it as an aggressor, as the expansion and occupation can't have legal basis," Abdullayev said.
"Armenia is fully responsible for situation in the region, since Azerbaijan comes up with a clear position: the withdrawal of Armenian troops will create conditions for progress in the peace process," the spokesman said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.