In an interview with Reuters on June 23, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that he rejected the request to provide special guarantees to the Armenian population of Karabakh.

The minister said that the Armenian population of Karabakh is sufficiently protected.

Jeyhun Bayramov said there was no need for a special guarantee [for Karabakh Armenians], and requiring it means interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs: "We cannot accept such preconditions or excuses from the Republic of Armenia for several reasons. The most important thing is this: this is an internal and sovereign issue. The Constitution of Azerbaijan and the international conventions to which Azerbaijan is a party create all the necessary conditions to guarantee the rights of this population."

The minister said that if the Armenians are integrated into Azerbaijani society, they can study in their own language, preserve their culture, and create their institutions like other ethnic and religious minorities. Bayramov also emphasized that there is certain progress in the peace talks, and Baku wants to reach an agreement.

But at the same time, before the meeting with his Armenian counterpart, which is scheduled to be held next week in Washington, the minister made statements that show how big the disagreement between the parties is: "We believe that the Prime Minister of Armenia openly declared this [that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan] for the first time. But why did it take two and a half years for the Prime Minister to declare that he recognizes Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity?"