MFA: Pashinyan should realize that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has nothing to do with CSTO

"The statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Bishkek clearly show that he has once again resorted to false and militaristic rhetoric," Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Leyla Abdullayeva said commenting on the speech of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the CSTO summit in Bishkek.

"In fact, it is Nikol Pashinyan's rhetoric which undermines negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The Armenian Prime Minister's statement in August of the current year in the occupied Azerbaijani city of Khankendi has seriously damaged the negotiation process. If Nikol Pashinyan has changed his mind, he should make it clear, but, if not, this is a serious blow to the negotiation process, including the activity and mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs," she noted.

Abdullayeva stressed that the Armenian side, which caused various provocations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, fired at civilian population, and killed an Azerbaijani excavator operator on October 3 this year, seeks to involve the CSTO in such conflicts:

“CSTO member-states have close cooperation with Azerbaijan, including military-political and military-technical cooperation. In particular, we would like to note the existing cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan. Russia and Azerbaijan have extensive cooperation in all fields, including military and technical. As it is known, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the Russian Defense Minister, Army General Sergei Shoigu on October 30, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov on November 26. The sides discussed issues of military cooperation between the two countries in 2020. If necessary, Azerbaijan can buy new weapons from Russia. We would like to emphasize that this issue has nothing to do with the Prime Minister of Armenia. 

"President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Ashgabat, citing specific documents and evidence on the glorification of fascism in Armenia, the erection of a monument to fascist hangman Garegin Nzhde. The ridiculous thoughts of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan who attempted to respond to this speech received the worthy response of President Ilham Aliyev. Now these thoughts of the Armenian Prime Minister have turned into an object of ridicule even in Armenia. Armenian Prime Minister should realize that Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno- Karabakh has nothing to do with the CSTO," the Foreign Ministry official said.