The claims of the Azerbaijani side that the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict has been resolved and is no longer on the international agenda do not correspond to reality. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement about this in response to the comments of Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the president of Azerbaijan, head of the foreign policy department of the president's office, about the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, the negotiation process and a number of other issues.

"The fact that the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is not resolved and needs a comprehensive settlement has been repeatedly stated by individual states, including the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as representatives of a number of international organizations.

The fact that in December 2022 the UN Security Council, which bears the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, discussed the situation related to the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, refutes the claims of the Azerbaijani side that the issue of the conflict has left the international agenda. Official Baku's desire to legalize the results of the illegal use of force against the Republic of Artsakh and its people and present it as a solution to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is an attempt to return to the period when military force prevailed over international law.

We are sure that the comprehensive settlement of the conflict can be achieved only through negotiations and on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. Rejecting the international mechanism of dialogue with the official Stepanakert, Azerbaijan is trying to avoid the implementation of possible agreements. The involvement of the international community in the dialogue between Artsakh and Azerbaijan is the only way to guarantee a comprehensive solution to the conflict.

The Artsakh side categorically rejects Azerbaijan's attempts to distort the essence of the conflict and present it as an internal problem. Against the background of the blockade of Artsakh lasting more than 90 days, it is obvious that this way Azerbaijan aims to create conditions for carrying out unrestricted ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, excluding the intervention of the international community. It is for this reason that Azerbaijan is against the involvement of the international community, including the sending of international missions to Artsakh so that nothing and no one can prevent the implementation of its criminal plan to subject Artsakh to ethnic cleansing.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani side continues to make false accusations that Armenia has not fully withdrawn its armed forces and continues to supply arms and ammunition to Artsakh. Such claims are untrue and are intended to justify the blockade of the Lachin Corridor for more than 90 days.

It should be emphasized that the Republic of Artsakh has a Defense Army made up of local residents, the presence of which does not contradict any provision of the Tripartite Declaration of November 9, 2020, and is the main guarantee of the security of the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan's campaign against the Artsakh Defense Army is conditioned by the fact that Baku seeks to deprive Artsakh Armenians of the opportunity to resist the criminal programs of self-defense and ethnic cleansing.

Azerbaijan's claims that the Lachin Corridor is open are false. It should be noted that during the hearings of the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan had the opportunity to present all its arguments regarding the situation related to the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, but after examining the arguments of the parties in detail, the International Court of Justice obliged Azerbaijan to guarantee unhindered movement through the Lachin Corridor. We remind you again that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are legally binding," the statement of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry reads.