On 25 September, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met with the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Toivo Klaar in order to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Armenians completely ignore the norms of international law and commit crimes. The reason they are able to do this is that there is no-one to stop them. The Minsk Group co-chairs do not stop them,” Aliyev stated during the meeting. He also stressed that the Minsk Group’s statements regarding the mediation of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenian are not directly aimed at anyone.

“Azerbaijan has not taken any provocative steps. We did not attack them at the state border, we did not send a sabotage group, we did not announce the creation of a volunteer army, we did not commit any other provocations. All provocations are committed by Armenia, and they are doing it deliberately, they are demonstrating it. The lack of international pressure on them – which I have repeatedly raised in meetings with the Minsk Group co-chairs – leads to very dangerous steps and may have unpredictable consequences,” he added.

As for Klaar, he stated that the EU is concerned over the recent developments. “The situation has changed. Many events of concern have occurred in recent months. This is a special reason why I am here today. As you know, the High Representative has been in contact with your Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. The European Union is very interested in security, stability and peace in the South Caucasus. For my part, I am here to study the situation,” he said.

The day before, Aliyev also was critical towards the UN Security Council resolution 853, saying that an updated timetable for withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories must be prepared. “Appropriate UN institutions must contribute to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions and return of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their native lands. The UN Security Council resolutions are not time specific. These resolutions are valid until they are implemented. Misinterpretation of UN Security Council resolutions is unacceptable,“ he said.

Armenia's Defence Ministry denied Aliyev’s statement that Armenia was building up its troops along the border with Azerbaijan. “On the contrary, it is Azerbaijan that is accumulating forces along the border, and the Armenian Armed Forces are monitoring it with all methods. Any movement of the enemy will not [go] unnoticed,” stated the spokesperson of Armenia’s MOD Shushan Stepanyan. 

On the other side, the spokesperson for Armenia’s MFA Anna Naghdalyan responded to Aliyev’s statements at the UN General Assembly (Caucasus Watch reported). “The peoples of the region have inherited a complex conflict, the final resolution of which presupposes the coordination of an option that will be acceptable for the peoples of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. Only the authorities with the mandate of these peoples' confidence can express the political will to reach a compromise and establish peace. Authorities have been formed in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, which have been elected by the people and are ready to enter… dialogue with the authorities enjoying the mandate of the people of Azerbaijan,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “Aliyev’s rule has always been based on the manipulation of the conflict, presenting Armenia and the Armenian people as the image of a“ suitable enemy in his own society, and not on solving the needs of his own people,” she added.