Hikmat Hajiyev: Azerbaijani people expect apologies from Armenian society

Armenia must exist within its internationally recognised borders rather than rely on historical interpretations that do not correspond to reality, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said at a special session titled "The Language of Peace and Countering Disinformation", held as part of the Baku Culture and Media Dialogue Platform.

According to Report, Hajiyev noted that Baku and Yerevan had agreed on a peace agenda. However, recent statements by the Armenian side showed that the two countries may have differing approaches.

"We remain concerned about manifestations of revanchism in Armenian society. We also see that Armenia's current leadership is promoting the concept of ‘Real Armenia". We take note of this and believe that Armenia must exist within its internationally recognised borders rather than be based on certain historical interpretations that do not correspond to reality," he said.

According to Hajiyev, Azerbaijan expects that there may be people within Armenian society who would come forward and apologise to the Azerbaijani people.

"Initial agreements on peace have already been reached. However, I am convinced that every Azerbaijani, especially those who were driven from their homes, spent 30 years as refugees or internally displaced persons, or were subjected to ethnic cleansing, expects an apology from the Armenian side. This should, of course, be part of a broader process of building confidence and peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan," Hajiyev added.