The response of the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aykhan Hajizada, to the question of the local media regarding the statement of the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Question: The government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands announced on December 13 that "100,000 Armenians were forcibly evicted from their homes as a result of Azerbaijan's attack on the ethnic Armenian enclave". What do you think about this statement?

Answer: The opinions voiced by the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands against our country in the aforementioned statement are unacceptable.

For 30 years, the Netherlands has never taken into account the fact that Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity were violated by the invader and aggressor Armenia, that Armenia carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis, and that more than 1 million Azerbaijanis were forcibly internally displaced and refugees.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the Armenian armed forces, which continued to exist illegally in our territories, were a source of danger in the region and made numerous calls for their immediate withdrawal in accordance with international law, the Dutch side's criticism of the anti-terrorist measures implemented by Azerbaijan in its territories is a clear example of a biased approach.

We remind once again that the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as the 24-hour anti-terrorist measures implemented in September 2023, were carried out in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, and that our country restored its sovereignty by legitimate methods.

Azerbaijan has never expelled Armenian residents from Karabakh, and it was their decision to migrate to Armenia and other countries despite Azerbaijan's calls not to leave the region. The missions of the United Nations in the region confirmed that the Azerbaijani side did not target the civilian population, and the International Court of Justice located in the Kingdom of the Netherlands rejected Armenia's latest claims in this direction.

It would be useful for the Dutch side to put an end to such statements that hinder the future development and progress of the region based on respect for the principles of international law.