Aliyev: 'It would be easier to communicate with Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh without Russian peacekeepers'

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated in an interview with Euronews that "it would be easier to communicate with the 'Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh' (citizens of the Republic of Artsakh) without Russian peacekeepers."

"Regarding the 'Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh', I want to remind you that our communication with them began immediately. Mostly, these were interactions with ordinary people when we started constructing the new Lachin road, which passes through several Armenian-populated villages. I learned that connections were established between our road builders and the Armenians. They immediately began to 'become friends.' If in the first months of construction the Russian peacekeepers ensured the security of both sides, after some time they simply withdrew, and it was easy to communicate without the Russian peacekeepers. This suggests that there is no hatred in the hearts of the majority of ordinary people," Aliyev said.