By Canadian Press

Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan chides Joly for ‘unacceptable’ comments to Armenians

Aug 24, 2023 | 12:00 PM

OTTAWA — Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry argues Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is undermining peace in the Nagorno-Karabakh region by referring to the area with the name used by Armenian secessionists.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but it is mostly populated by Armenians, and neighbouring Armenia has fought for control of the region for decades.

Tensions rose in the area last fall when the region’s main access road was blocked, leading to shortages of food and medicine that groups such as Human Rights Watch blame on Azerbaijan.

Canada is planning to send two officials to support a European monitoring mission that is aiming to prevent another war in the region.

This week, during a speech to Montreal’s Armenian community, Joly referred to the area as Artsakh, a term used by ethnic Armenians who want the area to secede from Azerbaijan.

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In a Wednesday statement, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry argues Joly is making “one-sided statements” that are “unacceptable” and threaten the country’s territorial integrity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press