Baku is ready to stop the war in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, but for this, Yerevan must commit to the withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with the Italian edition of La Repubblica.
“Firstly, I believe that the sooner the war ends, the better <...> I have repeatedly said <...> and I can repeat once again that <...> if the Prime Minister of Armenia undertakes a commitment to liberating the remaining territories, then we are ready to stop today. So far he has not undertaken such obligations, “RIA Novosti quoted him as saying on Wednesday, November 4.
According to the Azerbaijani leader, the compromise on the part of Yerevan should be “the complete liberation of all occupied territories in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the implementation of their basic principles.” They say that first five regions should be liberated, and then two more, Aliyev added.
“We have already unilaterally liberated four regions. Therefore, he (Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan – Ed.) Must say that the troops must be withdrawn from the territories of Aghdam, Kelbedjar, Lachin regions that remained under occupation. But he doesn’t make that claim. This shows that he does not want to end the war, ”the President of Azerbaijan expressed his opinion.
On the eve, the NKR State Emergency Service reported that the Azerbaijani-Turkish forces fired at the mother and child health center in Stepanakert, one person was injured.
A day earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the main task of Moscow as a mediator in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh is to help Armenia and Azerbaijan get out of the “hot phase”.
Another escalation of the conflict in the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic took place on September 27. Baku and Yerevan accused each other of shelling. The parties agreed on a ceasefire three times, but the fighting continues to this day.
On October 30, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the deployment of Russian peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh could be the optimal solution to the conflict. However, the Kremlin explained that such an option is possible only with the consent of both parties to the conflict – Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The next day, Pashinyan turned to Russian leader Vladimir Putin with a request to begin consultations to determine the form of support to ensure the republic’s security.
In turn, Aliyev said at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Baku that Armenia has no reason to ask Russia for help in connection with the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. In his words, Armenia admitted its defeat by turning to Russia for help.