Orkhan Amashov: Azerbaijani citizenship for Karabakh Armenians - key to future reconciliation of Baku and Yerevan

The adoption of Azerbaijani citizenship by the Armenian population of Karabakh is an important step in normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan, Caliber.az journalist Orkhan Amashov said in an interview with the Polish TV channel TVP World, Report to.

He noted that Baku never encouraged the departure of ethnic Armenians from Karabakh, while the Armenian diaspora from all over the world played an important “role” in this process.

"Azerbaijan believes that we have to maintain Armenian population of Karabakh because Baku views them as Azerbaijani citizens. So the point now is that we understand after the counter-terrorism measures some people might have felt very unsafe, there were lots of disinformation to which you referred and they left. But now there's an opportunity. Azerbaijan is reintegrating the infrastructure into its rest of Azerbaijan and the humanitarian access is guaranteed through the Lachin Road, Aghdam-Khankandi Road and other alternative roads," he noted.

"United Nations mission was on the ground confirming that people were not forced to leave Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and there was no damage to the civilian infrastructure and now they could come back."

"There's a reintegration program they could apply for the Azerbaijani citizenship and once they are Azerbaijani citizens they will be able to enjoy same privileges and rights as other Azerbaijani citizens," he added.

This will be an important step towards the future reconciliation of Azerbaijan and Armenia. In light of the restoration of the sovereignty of Karabakh, there is the opportunity to sign the long-awaited peace agreement, since the gray zone, which was a key obstacle to this, no longer exists, the journalist noted.

Orkhan Amashov: Azerbaijani citizenship for Karabakh Armenians - key to future reconciliation of Baku and Yerevan