Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Naghdalyan said on Monday, November 25 that Armenia condemns any attempts to speculate on issues related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, particularly the tragedy of Sumgait, in the context of addressing domestic political issues.

Naghdalyan's comments came after President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered an address on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the city of Sumgait, during which he referred to issues related to the Karabakh conflict, particularly the anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait. Aliyev has also revealed consistent policy of Azerbaijan to change the demographic situation in Nagorno-Karabakh during the Soviet-era, expressing his regret that it had not been eventually accomplished.

"Sumgait pogroms have been well documented, and Azerbaijan's distortion of the facts is a dangerous manifestation of denial that incites and advocates hatred towards Armenians and genocidal tendencies. Mass atrocities and ethnic cleansing committed against the Armenians, and the lack of condemnation and moreover justification of massacres in Baku, Kirovabad, Maragha, Talish and elsewhere, government-fueled anti-Armenian rhetoric, glorification of Ramil Safarov and other murderers of Armenians; all these undermine confidence building and damage the peace process," Naghdalyan said.

"By revealing Azerbaijan’s intentions and the pursued policy of altering Artsakh’s demographics through decreasing the Armenian population and increasing the Azerbaijani population, the President of Azerbaijan further emphasizes the validity of the primary concerns of the Armenian side regarding the existential physical security of the people of Artsakh both in 1988 and today.

"We urge the authorities of Azerbaijan to demonstrate political will in making genuine assessment of the mass atrocities committed in Sumgait, to refrain from denialism and to respect the dignity of the victims and survivors, to genuinely contribute to the preparation of peoples to peace."