BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. Armenia has pursued a policy of occupation against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people for 30 years, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said in an interview with BBC News, TurkicWorld reports.
"However, Azerbaijan is ready to turn the page on the conflict and is committed to a peaceful agenda," he said.
He emphasized that the presence of Armenian separatists on the territory of Karabakh is illegal.
"All actions of Azerbaijan aimed at liquidating this illegal regime are absolutely legitimate and are within the norms of international law," the president's assistant said.
According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan is ready to ensure a normal process of reintegration for the Armenian residents of Karabakh.
"Our country has always stated that we are ready to ensure the rights and security of the Armenian residents in accordance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan as well as international obligations," he noted.
The president's assistant emphasized that Azerbaijan is home to representatives of various ethnic groups and religious confessions, and Azerbaijan is ready to ensure the religious, cultural, and humanitarian needs of the Armenian residents of Karabakh within the framework of the Constitution.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppress large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarm and withdraw Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, neutralize their military infrastructure, ensure the safety of civilians returning to the territories liberated from occupation, civil servants involved in construction-restoration works, and Azerbaijani military personnel, as well as restore the constitutional order of Azerbaijan, anti-terrorist activities of a local nature were carried out in the region on September 19–20.
Within the framework of the activities, positions of Armenian armed forces formations, their long-term firing points, as well as military means and military facilities, were disrupted using high-precision weapons in the front line and in depth. Civilians and civilian infrastructure were not targets; only legitimate military targets were put out of action.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.
