Representative of the President of Azerbaijan on special tasks, Elchin Amirbeyov, gave an interview to BBC radio.

Axar.az reports that Elchin Amirbeyov said in an interview that in September of last year, Azerbaijan ended the illegal occupation of Karabakh and surrounding regions by Armenia. He said that the biggest obstacle to peace, that is, the issue of illegal military presence of Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan, has been resolved. E. Amirbeyov said that he believes that there are real and unique chances to conclude a peace agreement between the two countries. He said that the two countries have never been so close to peace.

E. Amirbeyov also informed about the beginning of the delimitation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. According to him, one of the important points in this regard is that this decision was made as a result of the direct bilateral participation of Armenia and Azerbaijan without the participation of any third party.

"For the first time, Armenia ended the occupation of our lands not as a result of military operations, but through diplomatic means. This proved that the claims of Armenia and its Western patrons that Azerbaijan wants to solve the remaining difficulties in the peace process by force are groundless and false. We are supporters of peace," Elchin Amirbeyov said.

He also touched on the importance of solving some issues between the two countries. He said that the current national legislation of Armenia, including its constitution, shows Karabakh as a part of Armenia, which is clearly a territorial claim against Azerbaijan: "The current national legislation of Armenia, including its constitution, shows Karabakh as the territory of Armenia. So, this is really a territorial claim against Azerbaijan. First of all, I think that if we are serious about the mutual recognition of territorial integrity as the basis of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenia should solve this issue. Especially after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that he recognizes Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan in many cases..."

Elchin Amirbeyov once again confirmed Azerbaijan's full commitment to the peaceful settlement of existing disagreements. He emphasized that Azerbaijan supports the intensification of negotiations between the two countries.

"We would also like to assure Armenia that the main principles that make up the peace agreement, that is, the recognition of each other's territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders, are also Azerbaijan's obligations," E. Amirbeyov stressed.

He noted that the land connection between Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is blocked by Armenia: "This shows that the Prime Minister of Armenia N. Pashinyan is clearly deviating from the commitment he made three and a half years ago by signing the Tripartite Declaration as a result of the end of the second Karabakh war." - said Elchin Amirbeyov.

He also emphasized that there are attempts by some foreign countries to potentially destabilize the ongoing peace process, to put peace prospects at risk and to turn the South Caucasus into a field of geopolitical competition. I mean the new initiatives of some Western countries. I think this is an opaque method. These are not good for the prospects of peace, but may also have some negative consequences in terms of security.