Hikmat Hajiyev: Azerbaijan intends to release Armenian residents of Karabakh from junta regime that keeps them hostages

Azerbaijan's intention is to release the Armenian residents of Karabakh from the junta regime that keeps them hostage, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, according to Report.

Azerbaijan's goal is disarming the military infrastructure and dissolving the illegal political system that they established in the territories of Azerbaijan, he said.

"There will be much better chances for peaceful reintegration of Armenians from Karabakh to the social, political, economic spectrum of Azerbaijan," Hikmat Hajiyev said.

Despite the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020, Armenian armed forces continue their existence in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev noted.

"They continue to remain a direct challenge to the security of Azerbaijan. At multiple occasions Azerbaijan has invited representatives of Karabakh Armenians to Baku and some other regions of Azerbaijan to have a real dialogue. Unfortunately, they refuse and they would like to continue to keep the 'gray zone' status," Hikmat Hajiyev said adding that this represents a direct challenge to the security of Azerbaijan.

He also noted that Armenian separatists also planted millions of landmines in Azerbaijani territories and continue their provocations against the civilian population by planting mines.

As a result of such a provocation, six people were killed, including civilians and police officers. In this regard, Azerbaijan has launched local anti-terrorism activities to neutralize illegal military structures in the Karabakh region.

According to Hajiyev, there is also the issue of ensuring the security of the Azerbaijani population.

"In no way the Azerbaijani side is targeting civilians," Hajiyev said noting that the Azerbaijani side is using precision-guided ammunitions to destroy the positions of the Armenian armed formations, their firing points as well as combat means and military facilities.

Hajiyev noted that terrorists use the civilian population of Karabakh as a shield by deliberately putting military facilities next to civilian objects.

"Therefore we notified the civilian population to keep at a distance from military objects," he said.