Baku calls on Netherlands to stop making statements that further undermine relations with Azerbaijan

Unfortunately, the Dutch side on another occasion has been demonstrating a biased approach vis-à-vis Azerbaijan and the post-conflict situation in the region, Azernews reports, citing Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as he respond to the local media inquiry regarding the claims in the International Security Chapter of the Government Program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands published on 13 September 2024.

First and foremost, it is unacceptable that this country has identified the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as a “takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh.” Garabagh region has always been an integral part of our country and was under the illegal occupation of Armenia for nearly 30 years. Turning a blind eye by the Netherlands to this illegal act of Armenia is regretful. Azerbaijan’s measures to liberate these territories were a solemn right of our country based on the norms and principles of international law that could not be misjudged this or another way.

Moreover, we resolutely reject the misnaming of the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan with fake names as “Nagorno-Karabakh.” This is just another blatant manifestation of the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan. We once again reiterate that there is no administrative or geographic unit in Azerbaijan called as “Nagorno Karabakh”, and every state and organization has to refer to the geographic names in the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan standardized by the relevant authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan that is also accepted within the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.

We call on the Dutch side to put an end to such statements that further undermine the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands and hinder the future development of the region based on respect for the norms and principles of international law.

It should be noted that on September 13, 2024, the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands presented to the public its program reflecting plans for the current term. In the "International Security" section, which addresses increasing conflicts, the liberation of Azerbaijani territories is portrayed as the "seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh."