On September 22, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly issued a statement marking the anniversary of “Karabakh's de-armamentization.”

"Last week marked one year since Azerbaijan launched its military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians for centuries. The consequences of this operation have been significant: more than 100,000 civilians, including 30,000 children, have been forcibly displaced into Armenia as a result of this military operation, leading to rapidly growing humanitarian needs in the country," she said. 

Joly emphasized that Azerbaijan's "unjustified military operation" followed a nine-month blockade of the Lachin corridor, which hindered the movement of humanitarian goods, violating the International Court of Justice's provisional measures orders.

Joly stated that Canada stands in solidarity with those affected by this crisis and expressed gratitude to Armenia for opening its doors to the displaced. She further noted that in 2023, Canada committed more than $3.9 million in humanitarian assistance to address the urgent needs related to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Canada continues to support meaningful negotiations toward a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, promoting continued dialogue and confidence-building measures to achieve a just and lasting peace. Joly reiterated Canada's call for the unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war captured during the Karabakh war and for the release of all arbitrarily detained ethnic Armenians from Azerbaijan.

In her statement, Joly affirmed that Canada supports a negotiated political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, promoting the principles of non-use of force, respect for territorial integrity, and the right to self-determination. She highlighted the need for a just and lasting peace that guarantees the safe and dignified return of Armenian civilians, protects human rights, and preserves Armenian cultural and historical monuments in the region.

On September 23, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned Joly's statement, calling it a violation of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Aykhan Hajizade, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a commentary in response, stating, "We strongly condemn and categorically reject the statement made by the Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly on September 22." He accused Joly of "manipulations and distortion of facts" and criticized her for not acknowledging that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended four years ago in accordance with international law. Hajizada emphasized that Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty over the Karabakh region in 2023, ending the "illegal presence of Armenia’s armed forces and the separatist regime it sustained."

Hajizade further criticized Joly for promoting "separatism" and for being silent about the ethnic cleansing, massacres, and crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijanis during its military aggression over nearly 30 years. He claimed that Joly's allegations about the humanitarian crisis in the region reflect Canada's bias against Azerbaijan. Hajizada asserted that Canada has "no moral authority to dictate how peace and security should be established in the region and reiterated that such "provocative and biased" statements only serve as obstacles to the region's progress based on respect for international law."