Azerbaijan Demands From Armenia To Return Eight More Settlements

Baku has put forward territorial claims to Yerevan.

Baku has demanded from Yerevan to return eight villages, calling them "occupied by Armenia". The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry accused Armenia in a statement saying its government was once again obstructing the peace process in the region.

"Armenia has chosen to continue threatening the peace process, the lives of our citizens, as well as the rehabilitation and reconstruction works in the region," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry claims that Yerevan is once again hindering negotiations on a peace agreement and continues military and political provocations.

"Armenia not only has not withdrawn its armed forces, which remain the main threat to peace and security in the region, it continues to support them financially and does not refrain from the illegal transfer of arms, military equipment, mines on the territory of Azerbaijan," Baku claims.

The issue of the eight settlements was raised earlier this summer. Azerbaijani authorities did not specify which villages they were referring to, but President Ilham Aliyev mentioned seven villages in Armenia's Tavush region and one in Ararat region bordering Nakhichevan.

In October, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed Baku's claims of eight villages in Armenia, reminding Azerbaijan that the Armenian region of Artsvashen, once part of Armenia's Gegharkunik province, is still considered occupied by Azerbaijan since the 1990s.

"We, in turn, say that we also have the problem of eight villages, because within Tavush region, for example, we have territories occupied by Azerbaijan - the villages of Berkaber, Aygeovit, Vazashen, Paravakar, as well as other territories," the Armenian prime minister stated.