The November 9 statement does not impose any restrictions on relations between Armenia and Artsakh at different levels, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan told Interfax.
The comments come after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued a statement stating that the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia to Artsakh is a violation of the commitments undertaken by the November 9 statement.
“The November 9 trilateral statement aimed at establishing a ceasefire and deploying Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh does not indicate any agreement on Artsakh’s status. And from that point of view, all the claims that changes have taken place in the status of Artsakh do not correspond to reality,” Naghdalyan said.
The status of Artsakh should be determined as a result of a peace process, based on the principles proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the right of peoples to self-determination, she added.
Assessing the implementation of the trilateral agreement by Azerbaijan, the Spokesperson said: “The November 9 statement stopped large-scale hostilities, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Artsakh. At the same time, the Azerbaijani side has violated and continues to violate a number of key provisions of the trilateral statement.”
Thus, she added, according to the first point of the trilateral statement, the parties must stop on their positions occupied as of November 10 and end the hostilities.
“Meanwhile, more than a month after the ceasefire was established, the Azerbaijani side carried out military operations in the direction of Hin Tagher and Khtsaberd settlements in Artsakh’s Hadrut region, causing human losses and capturing Armenian servicemen on the spot. The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to that gross violation of the statement in its December 13 statement,” the Spokesperson said.
“To date, the Azerbaijani side has not fully complied with Article 8 of the trilateral statement, according to which prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees should be exchanged. As a result, Armenian prisoners of war and hostages are not released. Moreover, the Azerbaijani side is prosecuting Armenian prisoners of war, presenting them as terrorists at the highest level, trying to prevent the full implementation of the November 9 trilateral statement,” she added.
The Spokesperson added that cessation of violations of of the November 9 statement by Azerbaijan is necessary for its full implementation.