The official website of the President of Azerbaijan quotes Ilham Aliyev: “I think it is important that Armenia should openly declare what they do want. If they want to talk about rights and security of Armenians in Karabakh, it will not work. We are ready to talk about that with Armenians who live in Karabakh, not with those who have been sent from Moscow hiding in their pockets billions of money stolen from Russian people, like person called Vardanyan who was transferred from Moscow there with a very clear agenda. But we are ready to talk to those people in Karabakh who live there and who wants to live there. We are ready. By the way, this process has started. If not for external interference and attempts to block this process from some countries, which I just mentioned, I think the process could have had a better dynamic. But it has nothing to do with Pashinyan and his government. This must be separated. As I said, there is a consensus between Azerbaijan, EU, United States and Russia. Those countries and the institution, which Azerbaijan sees as those who can be helpful.”
The President urged to judge their actions by their concrete steps, not by words: “Their words sometimes contradict what they do or what they plan. I do not know whether you got a direct answer from Armenian leadership about that. I doubt, because they want to keep this ambiguity which is not helpful. And, also the country which wants peace should refrain from very dangerous rhetoric, which Armenian officials afforded recently, comparing Azerbaijan to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, I think is a very dangerous rhetoric. First, because they acted as ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Ambassadors of EU visited the liberated territories, they did the same what was done by ISIS and Al-Qaeda with respect to historical and religious heritage. It was not us, it was them. So they committed acts of terror, they committed genocide, they destroyed our mosques, not us. But Mr. Pashinyan when he uses this wording he should know that we hear it, and what will be our reaction he should also think about.”
