Azerbaijan intends to leave the UN mission to Karabakh in the near future.

Axar.az reports that Hikmet Hajiyev, the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and the head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said this in an interview with "CBC News".

He said that Azerbaijan wants the Armenian residents of Karabakh to stay in the territory.

"Azerbaijan has a comprehensive plan to provide them with safe and better living conditions. However, they are free to leave the territory if they want. Azerbaijan has never had a plan to force the Armenian residents of Karabakh to leave, and it does not currently have one. On the contrary, if they stay in Azerbaijan Karabakh, said that they fully guarantee their safety. We would like them to stay. Azerbaijan continues to call on them to guarantee their safety. But we cannot stop the freedom of movement of Armenians. This is the sovereign and personal choice of everyone in the area."

H. Hajiyev, while commenting on the statement of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the so-called issue, called the accusation that he used the term "ethnic cleansing" an "insult":

"Unfortunately, we see that there are many elements of disinformation. "Azerbaijan has never carried out ethnic cleansing and will never carry out, there is no such situation as using force against civilians in the area."

The president's aide said that the government of Azerbaijan sent buses to Khankendi after Armenian residents who did not have cars asked for help.

"However, people are not forced to board buses. "Azerbaijan will do everything in its power and organize a way so that civilians can safely go to their chosen destination."

H. Hajiyev stressed that Azerbaijan intends to allow the international expert group of the UN to the territory with the potential of access to the media within a few days.