Hikmat Hajiyev: Karabakh’s Armenian residents need to make proper application to be accepted as Azerbaijani citizens

From a legal perspective, Armenians, who were born in the Karabakh region, are Azerbaijani citizens, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, told TRT World, according to Report.

"But during the Armenian occupation of the Karabakh region, Erivan followed a policy of annexation, and it illegally distributed passports to almost all of the region’s Armenian residents," Hikmat Hajiyev said.

Karabakh’s Armenian residents need to make a proper application to be accepted as Azerbaijani citizens, Hikmat Hajiyev said, adding that by accepting Azerbaijani citizenship, they also recognize Baku’s sovereignty and laws.

On the other hand, Azerbaijan will ensure linguistic, cultural, religious and municipal rights of Karabakh’s Armenians, says Hajiyev.

He noted that Azerbaijan is party to various international conventions including Council of Europe's Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM).

"Under such conventions, we are ready to ensure individual rights of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region," Hajiyev said.