Minister Hasani said in his remarks that, “reports of military clashes, resulting in the loss of human lives, were deeply disturbing. We have attentively followed the latest developments in the field”.

He emphasized that the arguments presented do not match.

“Azerbaijan claims that Armenia was organizing hostile acts. Armenia assesses that this was a large-scale military attack against the civilian population,” Hasani said.

According to him, these confirm the extreme fragility of the situation and the great mistrust between the parties.

Hasani repeated the call to prioritize the protection of civilians and the residential areas.

“No matter how complex the problems may be, military confrontation is not the solution. We call for restraint, calm, peace and dialogue”, he emphasized.
Hassan also welcomed the ceasefire agreement to stop the military actions.

“Both parties must honor this agreement and avert any further escalation”, said the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Hasani further emphasized the support for the Armenian-Azerbaijani efforts to achieve a lasting peace.

“The normalization process must be ratched up. Negotiations for a peace treaty must continue,” he said.
The minister said that it is encouraging that the leaders of the two countries have publicly reconfirmed their commitment to the Almaty Declaration

“Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, a solid basis for handling and resolving disputes. We hope that the planned meeting in Yevklah will bring positive results”, underlined Hasani.

“The rights of ethnic Armenians living in Azerbaijan must be upheld. In this way, communities and minorities become an added value to a country’s society. They can serve as a bridge for peaceful and friendly relations between neighboring countries”, said Hasani, among other things.
/sm/