Tahir Mirkishili: Armenia should not interfere in internal affairs of Azerbaijan

Armenia should not interfere in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Tahir Mirkishili said, Report informs.

He spoke about the large-scale restoration and reconstruction projects implemented by Azerbaijan in the territories liberated from occupation, which allows thousands of former Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to gradually return to their homes.

The parliamentarian stressed that post-conflict restoration, reconstruction and reintegration are the main priority for Azerbaijan.

"This also includes the reintegration of ethnic Armenians living in the conflict-affected Azerbaijani territories as equal citizens. This is a purely internal process, which should be regulated by the Constitution of Azerbaijan and relevant international documents, which we support. Azerbaijan is determined to make progress in efforts to reintegrate ethnic Armenians and conducts a direct dialogue for this purpose," Mirkishili said.

He stressed that the Azerbaijani government had appointed its special representative for dialogue with ethnic Armenians and his first meeting with local Armenians took place on March 1, 2023 in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly.

"The government of Azerbaijan has recently proposed holding regular discussions in Baku. However, this process is facing resistance and interference from Armenia. This country should stop trying to interfere in the process and refrain from actions and statements that are detrimental to efforts towards reintegration. The Azerbaijani side expects from the international community to support direct dialogue with the local Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan," Tahir Mirkishili added.