Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev: Azerbaijan's agenda is peace with Armenia, cooperation in region

Azerbaijan's agenda is peace with Armenia, cooperation in the region, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Netherlands Rahman Mustafayev said as he received a group of journalists from leading Dutch newspapers - De Volkskrant (The People's Newspaper), NRC Handelsblad and Holland Times, as well as the pan-European publication Diplomatic Magazine.

During the conversation, the ambassador informed journalists about the causes and results of local anti-terrorist measures on September 19-20, Azerbaijan’s humanitarian efforts in the region and plans for the reintegration of the Armenian population, the prospects for the negotiation process and the signing of a peace treaty with Armenia. The Azerbaijani diplomat provided detailed answers to questions from journalists about the possibility of regional cooperation in a trilateral format between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

Regarding statements about the so-called "ethnic cleansing", the ambassador pointed out the groundlessness of any accusations against the Azerbaijani side. He noted that the European politicians and public opinion turned the blind eye to the real ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani population that took place in 1987-1991 in Armenia and in 1991-1993 in Karabakh and 7 regions around it. In this context, the ambassador informed those present about the plans of the Azerbaijani government to return the Azerbaijani population expelled from Armenia to their places of residence, emphasizing the validity of this approach in terms of international law.

Ambassador Mustafayev also provided detailed answers to questions about the role of the international community in establishing peace in the South Caucasus. He called on the Dutch government to move away from supporting Yerevan's destructive approaches and to support Baku's efforts to establish an atmosphere of peace and cooperation in the region and sign a peace treaty. At the same time, the Azerbaijani diplomat noted with regret that the official Hague, which is the capital of international law and justice, has still not recognized that it was thanks to the decisive forceful actions of Baku and its active diplomacy that the norms of international law and justice were restored on the territory of Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, journalists watched a documentary about the liquidation of the positions of illegal Armenian armed groups and the weapons confiscated from them.

De Volkskrant and NRC Handelsblad are, respectively, the third and fourth largest printed publications in the Netherlands.