“Once again, we bring to the attention of the Armenian side that the current status-quo established as a result of the use of force and ethnic cleansing, is in no way connected with the concept of security. The occupied territories of Azerbaijan and the presence of the Armenian armed forces on these territories are the source of the main threat to the security of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has always advocated the universality and indivisibility of the concept of security,” said spokesperson for Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva as she responded to a question from journalists regarding the recent statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry accusing Azerbaijan of aggravating the situation on the state border with Armenia and threatening peace and security in the region. “First of all, let's clarify who makes such statements. These statements are made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the aggressor country that occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions of Azerbaijan and carried out bloody ethnic cleansing of the Azerbaijanis living in these territories. These statements are made by the Republic of Armenia, which is responsible for the killings, in recent weeks, of the Azerbaijani border guards protecting the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan,” Abdullayeva said.

“Azerbaijan has always advocated the universality and indivisibility of the concept of security. The withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the further cohabitation of the Armenian and Azerbaijani population of the region in the conditions of peace and the rule of law, are the determinants of building trust and rapprochement in the name of ensuring the region’s common security and prosperity,” she noted.

“The Armenian side must correctly understand the existing reality and follow the demands of the international community for the complete, unconditional and immediate withdrawal from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the return of the forcibly displaced Azerbaijanis to their homes, which is confirmed in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and other numerous decisions of international organizations. Let no one doubt that Azerbaijan will ensure the restoration of justice, as well as its own territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” Leyla Abdullayeva added.