Media: Aliyev refused to meet with the leaders of Armenia and the EU

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decided to cancel his trip to Spain, where a meeting was planned on October 5 with the participation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the leaders of the EU, France and Germany, reported on Wednesday, the Azerbaijani publication Haqqin.

According to journalists, the reason for the cancellation of the trip was the destructive position of Paris. In addition, the disagreement of Germany and France to hold the event in Turkey was also mentioned.

The meeting in Granada, Spain was announced at the end of September. As part of its preparation, Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, visited Brussels on a working visit. He discussed the details of future negotiations with Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev.

Aggravation of the conflict in Karabakh

On September 19, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced the implementation of “anti-terrorist measures” in Karabakh. Baku explained that the military’s actions are being carried out to “ensure the provisions of the trilateral statement and suppress large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region.” Baku also announced its intention to disarm and withdraw the formations of the Armenian Armed Forces and “restore the constitutional order” in the region.

Against the backdrop of the events taking place on the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters at a briefing that Moscow was alarmed by the sharp escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. In turn, the Kremlin called on Baku and Yerevan to follow the previously established trilateral agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh.

On September 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on the parties to the conflict to stop hostilities and immediately return to the implementation of security agreements. From the very moment of its deployment in the region, the Russian peacekeeping contingent conscientiously carried out the tasks of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring contacts between the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides. The peacekeepers coordinated efforts regarding the humanitarian situation on the ground, and also contributed to the launch of direct dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert.

On September 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that, through the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement was reached between Yerevan, Baku and representatives of Karabakh on a complete cessation of hostilities. As part of the agreements reached, the armed formations of Karabakh surrendered weapons and ammunition. The next day, negotiations between the delegation of Karabakh Armenians and representatives of Azerbaijan took place in Yevlakh.

It should be noted that Karabakh was personally recognized as part of Azerbaijan by the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, voicing a corresponding statement last October at a summit in Prague. Then he said that the country recognizes the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan along with the territory of Karabakh on a total area of ​​86.6 thousand square kilometers. Thus, everything that happens after Pashinyan’s refusal from Karabakh is an Azerbaijani conflict, because the Armenian leadership itself has radically changed the status of the region.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will cease to exist on January 1, 2024. The corresponding decree was signed by the head of the unrecognized republic Samvel Shahramanyan. All state institutions of the republic will be dissolved. After the decree came into force, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh was asked to study the conditions for reintegration proposed by the Azerbaijani authorities. After this, people can independently decide whether they will return to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani authorities presented a plan for the reintegration of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the Armenian population of the region. In accordance with the document, the residents of Karabakh will be guaranteed security, equality of rights and freedoms, in particular religion, as well as the opportunity to preserve and develop their culture, ethnocultural characteristics, and “the possibility of using the Armenian language will be created.”