Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                            Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Armenia’s Prime Minister’s Remarks Cast Shadow on Intensified Diplomatic Efforts

• Washington, DC – Two days before U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is slated to meet the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in DC, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made another reckless statement[1] designed to damage the intensified diplomatic efforts toward deescalating the military conflict and return to substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group.
• Armenia’s Prime Minister said on Wednesday he saw no diplomatic solution to the conflict and called for nearly full mobilization urging all mayors, local governments and NGOs to organize military units and civilians to arm themselves. The statement came immediately after the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held separate talks with the Foreign Ministers and before they travel to DC to meet U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. Reuters reported[2] that these remarks might dampen hopes that Secretary Pompeo’s direct involvement in mediation might lead to a breakthrough.  
• Armenian Prime Minister’s statement “once again demonstrates that Armenia is not interested at all in the peaceful resolution of the conflict” said[3] Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan. “Through that statement Armenia’s leadership acknowledges that Armenia’s aim is to keep Azerbaijan’s occupied territories under occupation”, Mr. Hajiyev’s statement reads.
• Over the past few weeks despite two humanitarian ceasefires were reached, the Armenian forces immediately violated these truces by launching attacks at military positions and rockets and missiles at civilian centers of Azerbaijan. Clearly, as the Armenian leadership’s latest statement testifies, Armenia’s objective is not to cease fire and to save lives but rather to continue its illegal military presence on the Azerbaijani territory and to involve third parties directly into the conflict.
• Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its readiness to resume substantive negotiations immediately, based on the basic principles, endorsed by the OSCE Minsk Group. Unfortunately, the Armenian side continues avoiding the peace talks insisting on certain preconditions and changing the established negotiation format.

For further information:

Phone: (202) 337-3500

E-mail: s_valiyeva@azembassy.us

[1] https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1032301.html 

[2] https://de.reuters.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan/armenian-leader-sees-no-quick-diplomatic-solution-in-nagorno-karabakh-idUSKBN27618I

[3] https://twitter.com/HikmetHajiyev/status/1318933866766356486/photo/1