May 12, 2022 - 14:56 AMT
Baku: Pashinyan's "unfounded accusations" cast doubt on wish for peace

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva has said that "unfounded accusations" from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan "cast doubt on that country's desire for peace."

Pashinyan told a Dutch think-tank that Azerbaijan is trying to use the Armenian prisoners of war still being held captive in Baku as a bargaining chip. He noted that the President of Azerbaijan promised in the presence of the President of the Council of Europe in early April to release another group of PoWs, but has failed to keep his word.

"Unfounded accusations voiced by the Prime Minister of Armenia against Azerbaijan in a speech at Clingendael – the Netherlands Institute of International Relations – including accusations in humanitarian issues, indicate that the position of the Armenian leadership is far from sincerity in normalizing relations between the two countries," Abdullayeva said, according to Apa.az.

The diplomat maintained that Azerbaijanis continue to die in mine explosions even after Armenia handed over aps of mine fields to Baku.

"Under such circumstances, the accusations of the Prime Minister of Armenia that Azerbaijan does not take humanitarian steps, does not return the detained persons of Armenian origin, are inappropriate and unfounded," she added.