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Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov has stated that Baku is ready to grant the Armenians living in Nagorno Karabakh a high-level autonomy and ensure their security. Mammadyarov has noted that in line with its international commitments, Azerbaijan has always ensured the security of its citizens including of those belonging to different ethnic groups and today is ready to do the same for the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh. Panorama.am turned to the head of Information department at the Artsakh President’s Office Davit Babayan, asking to comment on the Azerbaijani FM’s statements.

“Those statements from Azerbaijani leadership are unacceptable and once again show that official Baku is in no way ready to change its stance. There was a time when Azerbaijani Republic was formed based on federative unions of two subjects - Armenians and Muslims.it was at a time when no nation called Azerbaijanis even existed. It was officially emerged in 1936. The two Armenian formations - the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast – had different statuses. We all saw the fate of the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic, when the Armenian population disappeared,” Babayan pointed.

The Artsakh official reminded of the poor record of Azerbaijani treatment of ethnic minorities, the Red Kurdistan among them which was eliminated off the face of the earth amid the unfulfilled promises by Azerbaijan to grant an autonomy.

“Azerbaijanis slaughtered Armenians in Artsakh, Baku and Sumgait which were stripped of their Armenian population and later had to fight a large-scale war imposed on them. Today, we are an independent state and have passed through the April war. What is the logic for an independent country to refuse its status, security guarantees and follow the Azerbaijani whims? Following this logic, we can expect them to appoint Ramil Safarov (ax-murderer of an Armenian army lieutenant) as a governor in Karabakh. This is impossible,” Babayan added.