Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan – Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev answered the provocative questions of the German publication ZDF and clearly revealed the position of the official Baku.
Publika.az brings that interview to the readers’ attention:
– At the end of last year, Ilham Aliyev stated that he considers the southern regions of Armenia to belong to Azerbaijan. Is Aliyev’s goal now to take back territories from Armenia?
– The president did not say such a thing, and I regret that his words were misinterpreted in the international media. Actually, he meant something else. Azerbaijanis have always lived in the territory of present-day Armenia. My ancestors also lived in the territory of today’s Armenia. We are talking about interpersonal contacts. Azerbaijanis should also have the right to visit these areas, for example, cultural centers and cemeteries. This does not mean territorial claims against Armenia.
As for the Zangezur corridor, we hope that Armenia will fulfill its obligations. According to the tripartite statement of 2020, Armenia has agreed to provide Azerbaijan with an unhindered connection between its main territory and Nakhchivan. However, Armenia still has not fulfilled its commitment.
– Is Azerbaijan discussing the possibility of a military strike on Armenia?
– No. For us, any military intervention is over, because Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity. Azerbaijan carried out operations only in its territory and in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which provides for the right of self-defense. There should be no double standards and selective attitude to territorial integrity.
– Discussions are currently underway regarding the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), of which Azerbaijan is also a member. This is due to the fact that many deputies criticize Azerbaijan for the trends in foreign and domestic politics. Now Azerbaijan wants to leave this assembly. Why?
– I am very sorry that the situation has reached this level. But some deputies in PACE, especially those from Germany, like to lecture and give advice to everyone. We are also very concerned about some of the events happening in the West. For example, regarding the issue of migrants’ rights in the EU. We are also concerned about Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. But PACE deputies are silent on all these issues and only insult Azerbaijan.
– Was this the reason why PACE members were not allowed to participate in the elections?
– Azerbaijan has no obligation to invite observers to the elections before PACE. We have obligations to the OSCE. We are cooperating and currently OSCE representatives are in Baku regarding the presidential elections. I regret that some members of PACE undermine the general spirit of cooperation within the framework of the Council of Europe. I don’t know what the goals are behind it. We think this is counterproductive. I believe that Azerbaijan brought great benefits to PACE.
– In November and December, several journalists investigating corruption in the government were arrested in Azerbaijan. Were they arrested for these investigations?
– The structures that claim to be investigating corruption have engaged in corruption themselves. Some mass media received 300,000 US dollars through illegal money laundering channels for their activities in Azerbaijan. We also have the right to ask media organizations about their funding. These structures did not provide transparency. They continued their money laundering activities using illegal sources outside of Azerbaijan.
