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September 30, 04:27 pm
Armenian soldier during the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh (Photo: Ministry of Defense of Armenia / Brochure via REUTERS)
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that peace in Nagorno-Karabakh will come after Armenian troops leave this territory.
«We have only one condition: the Armed Forces of Armenia are definitely in full force and must leave our lands immediately. This condition is in force and if the Armenian government complies with it, the fighting will stop, the blood will stop spilling and peace will be established in the region. We want peace and we want a solution to the conflict, ”he said in a meeting with those wounded in the battles in Nagorno-Karabakh, Interfax-Azerbaijan reports.
Aliyev also stated that Azerbaijan’s goal is “to restore justice and territorial integrity”, that is, to regain control over Nagorno-Karabakh. (Ukraine and most of the world consider it the occupied territory of Azerbaijan). According to the president, in four days of fighting, the Azerbaijani troops were able to «occupy strategic heights and liberate various territories. “
Before that, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan was always ready for a peaceful settlement, but “this does not mean that Armenia and Karabakh are ready to solve the problem to the detriment of their national interests and the security of Karabakh.” .
The fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh began on the night of September 27. Azerbaijan and Armenia introduced martial law and announced the mobilization of the reserve.
Both countries blame each other for the escalation of the conflict and report combat casualties and civilian casualties. According to Baku and Yerevan, the enemy is using heavy weapons and mercenaries.
The international community called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately cease hostilities and to sit at the negotiating table.
The conflict continues between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1988, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, inhabited mainly by Armenians, announced its withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1994, mediated by Moscow, a ceasefire agreement was signed that ended active hostilities in the region, but left Karabakh and the surrounding regions of Azerbaijan under Armenian control.
During the six years of the war, more than 30 thousand people died.
The peace agreement came to a standstill after talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2009.
