Azerbaijani foreign ministry responds to Zakharova’s statements on Artsakh

The Azerbaijani foreign ministry reacted to a statement by Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian foreign ministry, regarding the reasons why the CSTO did not intervene in the Karabakh conflict.

Zakharova had earlier noted that the application of CSTO mechanisms was impossible because Armenia did not recognize Karabakh as either its own territory or an independent state.

Azerbaijan’s foreign policy agency called this interpretation “unfounded.” The foreign ministry stated that “Karabakh has always been recognized by the international community, including the Russian Federation, as an integral part of Azerbaijan.” Baku emphasized that “attempts to explain the CSTO’s position by referencing Karabakh’s status contradict Moscow’s own official position.”

The foreign ministry also stated that “Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity in accordance with the norms of international law, and the Karabakh conflict has been finally concluded.” The Russian side was urged not to link problems in relations between Moscow and Yerevan to Azerbaijan.