News - Azerbaijan dissatisfied with Armenia PM's interview

Azerbaijan is dissatisfied with the interview given by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Public Television of Armenia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan, commenting on this interview, stated that the "Armenian side has not given up political manipulations and distorted interpretation." In the interview, Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan raises the issue of eight villages, and added that Armenia also has an issue of eight villages. "(…) in the same Tavush Province [of Armenia], for example, we have territories occupied by Azerbaijan—the Berkaber, Aygehovit, Vazashen, Paravakar villages—as well as other territories. We proposed a solution to that issue back in 2021, and we said: ‘Let's decide which the delimitation map is and simultaneously withdraw the troops from that border line,’” Baku has called Pashinyan's statement that Azerbaijan occupied some Armenian villages "completely false." "In order to justify Armenia’s keeping 8 villages of Azerbaijan under occupation, claiming that Azerbaijan allegedly occupied the territories of some Armenian villages is completely false. In violation of all norms and principles of international law, as well as in violation of international humanitarian law, Armenia occupied 8 villages of Azerbaijan," said the statement by the Azerbaijan MFA. As for delimitation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, Pashinyan spoke about taking the maps of 1975 as a basis. The MFA of Azerbaijan, however, claims that the map of 1975, which Armenia refers to, "does not exist." "In general, in accordance with the practice, the delimitation process is carried out not only on the basis of maps, at the same time, in order for these maps to be a reference source, these maps must be based on international legal documents, including those approved in one way or another by both countries. While Armenia has not yet delimited its borders with any of its neighbors due to its territorial claims, Armenia’s claim that the delimitation must be on the basis of only one map, does not make sense," said the statement by the Azerbaijan MFA.