President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan speaks in occupied Artsakh on Feb. 26
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Monday threatened Armenia, saying that Yerevan should accept all of Baku’s conditions, as both countries announced that their foreign ministers will meet in Berlin this week for a new round of peace talks.
“Armenia and its patrons believed that no one would punish them. They were completely wrong, and they are still wrong today,” Aliyev said, according to the Trend news agency.
“Armenia, which is looking for a new owner and seeking refuge in somebody else’s arms, should understand that the only way is to accept all of Azerbaijan’s conditions and give up its territorial claims against Azerbaijan,” Aliyev added.
His remarks come two days after Azerbaijani forces attacked the Verin Shorzha region of the Gegharkunik Province on Saturday, prior to which another attack on Armenian positions in Nerkin Hand in the Syunik Province killed four soldiers.
Foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan will meet his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhum Bayramov in Berlin later this week.
Spokespersons from both foreign ministries confirmed the meeting, which they said will take place from February 28 to 29.
Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Munich earlier this month during talks mediated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Aliyev has criticized the European Union and France, accusing them of advancing pro-Armenian policies.
He criticized the EU’s mission in Armenia and France for selling weapons to Yerevan.
President Emmanuel Macron of France said last week that his country will continue to support Armenia and advance its military capabilities. Macron also emphasized that Azerbaijan should recognize Armenia’s territorial integrity explicitly.
A day later, France’s defense minister Sebastien Lecornu visited Yerevan and signed several more agreements with his Armenian counterpart. Reports also indicated that a new shipment of military equipment from France arrived in Armenia on the same day of Lecornu’s visit.
