Baku—The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a rebuttal to statements made by the Armenian Prime Minister, accusing him of misrepresenting the terms of the trilateral agreement signed on November 10, 2020.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for the Ministry, criticized the Armenian Prime Minister’s recent speech at the ‘Crossroads of Peace: combining security and democracy’ forum. Hajizada stated, “The allegations by the Prime Minister of Armenia regarding the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, are an attempt to distort the realities.” He further highlighted the Armenian leadership’s negligence in fulfilling its obligations, particularly concerning the opening of communications as outlined in paragraph 9 of the trilateral statement, which details Armenia’s responsibilities regarding transport links.

The Azerbaijani MFA’s commentary also enumerated violations by Armenia, including the failure to withdraw its illegal armed units from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan by September 2023, the transfer of weapons and military equipment through the Lachin corridor, and continued landmine deployment. “Armenia’s actions violate the obligations arising from the trilateral statement,” Hajizada noted.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani spokesperson addressed the Armenian Prime Minister’s rhetorical inquiries about the Lachin corridor and the return of refugees, labeling them as mocking and surprising given the context of Armenia’s previous commitments. He also refuted claims regarding the non-return of prisoners of war, stating, “Adhering to the principle of humanism, Azerbaijan has so far handed over all prisoners of war to the Armenian side.”

The Ministry urged the Armenian leadership to cease making unfounded claims over Azerbaijani territories and to stop the gross violations of international law, which it argues only mislead the international community and distort historical and legal realities.