The Armenian side advocates statements aimed at domestic consumption, said spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev, commenting on the statement of Armenian Foreign Minister. Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement that the Co-Chairs condemn the armed incidents, use of force and the threat of its application. “Often acting on the principle of the use of force or threat of its application, Armenia should understand that the responsibility for implementing the principles coming from these conditions falls on its own share. That Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories by force. The military contingent of Armenia is located in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The cause of incidents on the contact line of troops is the presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories”

Hajiyev said that feeling any progress in the negotiation process, the Armenian side has always resorted to provocations. “As it was the incident with the helicopter at the end of 2014 and well-known April events that led to the deaths of civilians in Azerbaijan. In Hamburg the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs pointed out the steps that would lead to settlement of the conflict, emphasizing primarily the release of the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh and ensure the safe return of IDPs to their native lands. Armenian Foreign Minister is deliberately silent about it. The statement of the OSCE Minsk Group also clarifies the issue of investigation of incidents that Armenia is trying to turn into an object of speculation, as well as the expansion of the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman. I would like to remind Armenian Foreign Minister that the statement noted that the proposals should be implemented in parallel with the immediate reinstatement of negotiations. The Azerbaijani side has repeatedly stated that the incident investigation mechanism must be synchronized with the substantive negotiations and become a part of it,” said Hajiyev.

Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the Foreign Minister of Armenia once again distorts the essence of the Helsinki Final Act and the principle of self-determination: “The Co-Chairs stressed the importance of negotiations on the basis of the working proposals for sustainable peace. However, the Armenian side avoiding substantive negotiations, proposes conditions and pretexts, avoids meetings, harms the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg, and creates an escalation at the front, openly pursuing a policy of failure of the peace process and the status quo. Continuation of the policy of strengthening Armenia`s military presence in the occupied territories to change the demographic and cultural character of these areas show true intention of this country. Everyone knows to whom the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group is addressed and what is its essence,”- said Hajiyev.

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