The Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan had verbal tension with each other at a round table on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference regarding Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin border.
Publish dateSunday 19 February 2023 - 16:41
Story Code : 265734
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan argued with each other in their meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference regarding the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Reuters news agency reported in this regard, the leaders of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan yesterday (Saturday, February 18) entered into a verbal dispute regarding the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and each insisted on their different positions, and despite their meeting in Munich, there was little evidence. The possibility of lasting peace between the two countries was observed.
According to the report, tensions between the two former Soviet neighbors have escalated due to Baku's two-month blockade of the entrance to Lachin, the only land route that gives Armenia direct access to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The first face-to-face meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev since October began with talks hosted by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, after which the two sides said that progress had been made in the peace agreement.
However, at the next panel discussion on "Creating Security in the South Caucasus", the two men showed how far apart the two sides are on Nagorno-Karabakh, the blockade of the Lachin entrance, and the direction of future negotiations.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but its population of 120,000 is mainly Armenian and it was separated from Baku in the first war in the early 1990s.
Azerbaijan regained much of the lost territory in a six-week conflict in 2020 that killed thousands and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers.
According to the Reuters report, Aliyev said during the round table that ended in controversy: "I think (the Republic of) Azerbaijan and Armenia should show that the transition from the long-term deadlock, mutual hatred and hostility should end."
Aliyev's conciliatory tone faded as he then accused Armenia of occupying Azerbaijan's territories for nearly 30 years and criticized a senior Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official.
Pashinyan also answered Aliyev in this way: "Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of revenge" and said whether this Munich meeting is supposed to be used to "incite bigotry, hatred, aggressive rhetoric" or is it better to improve the situation.
The Prime Minister of Armenia stated: "Of course, now we can tell many stories of enmity (at the Munich Round Table). But what is the meaning of our leadership? To deepen this enmity or to use their capacities? Do our officials use their duties properly? "I am proud that our government was able to hold free and democratic elections in our country even after the devastating war."
In part of his speech, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan said sharply: "In Azerbaijan, there is no concept of Nagorno-Karabakh and there is no such executive-territorial unit."
Pashinyan answered him that there is Nagorno-Karabakh and Lachin border and this border should be reopened according to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, which Aliyev also signed.
Regarding the Lachin border, Aliyev gave this answer to Pashinyan: "And we have the entrance to Lachin, which should be freely usable, and by the way, according to the tripartite statement, it is out of the control of Azerbaijan and according to the signature of the president of Azerbaijan."
He then pointed to Baku's actions in restricting the movement of Armenians at the Lachin border and said: "Not long ago, a bus carrying Armenian children trying to cross the Lachin border encountered masked Azeri people who prevented them from crossing."
Aliyev replied that Baku was reviewing the draft of Yerevan's peace proposals, and Russian media reported that Aliyev also said that Baku had proposed establishing checkpoints on the border with Armenia.
A group of Azerbaijani civilians who call themselves environmental activists have been facing Russian peacekeepers at the entrance of Lachin since December 12 last year, and Yerevan says that the protesters are rioters supported by the Baku government.
Reuters news agency reported in this regard, the leaders of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan yesterday (Saturday, February 18) entered into a verbal dispute regarding the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and each insisted on their different positions, and despite their meeting in Munich, there was little evidence. The possibility of lasting peace between the two countries was observed.
According to the report, tensions between the two former Soviet neighbors have escalated due to Baku's two-month blockade of the entrance to Lachin, the only land route that gives Armenia direct access to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The first face-to-face meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev since October began with talks hosted by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, after which the two sides said that progress had been made in the peace agreement.
However, at the next panel discussion on "Creating Security in the South Caucasus", the two men showed how far apart the two sides are on Nagorno-Karabakh, the blockade of the Lachin entrance, and the direction of future negotiations.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but its population of 120,000 is mainly Armenian and it was separated from Baku in the first war in the early 1990s.
Azerbaijan regained much of the lost territory in a six-week conflict in 2020 that killed thousands and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire and the deployment of Russian peacekeepers.
According to the Reuters report, Aliyev said during the round table that ended in controversy: "I think (the Republic of) Azerbaijan and Armenia should show that the transition from the long-term deadlock, mutual hatred and hostility should end."
Aliyev's conciliatory tone faded as he then accused Armenia of occupying Azerbaijan's territories for nearly 30 years and criticized a senior Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official.
Pashinyan also answered Aliyev in this way: "Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of revenge" and said whether this Munich meeting is supposed to be used to "incite bigotry, hatred, aggressive rhetoric" or is it better to improve the situation.
The Prime Minister of Armenia stated: "Of course, now we can tell many stories of enmity (at the Munich Round Table). But what is the meaning of our leadership? To deepen this enmity or to use their capacities? Do our officials use their duties properly? "I am proud that our government was able to hold free and democratic elections in our country even after the devastating war."
In part of his speech, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan said sharply: "In Azerbaijan, there is no concept of Nagorno-Karabakh and there is no such executive-territorial unit."
Pashinyan answered him that there is Nagorno-Karabakh and Lachin border and this border should be reopened according to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, which Aliyev also signed.
Regarding the Lachin border, Aliyev gave this answer to Pashinyan: "And we have the entrance to Lachin, which should be freely usable, and by the way, according to the tripartite statement, it is out of the control of Azerbaijan and according to the signature of the president of Azerbaijan."
He then pointed to Baku's actions in restricting the movement of Armenians at the Lachin border and said: "Not long ago, a bus carrying Armenian children trying to cross the Lachin border encountered masked Azeri people who prevented them from crossing."
Aliyev replied that Baku was reviewing the draft of Yerevan's peace proposals, and Russian media reported that Aliyev also said that Baku had proposed establishing checkpoints on the border with Armenia.
A group of Azerbaijani civilians who call themselves environmental activists have been facing Russian peacekeepers at the entrance of Lachin since December 12 last year, and Yerevan says that the protesters are rioters supported by the Baku government.
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