BAKU. Aug 15 (Interfax) - Azerbaijani presidential aide and head of the presidential administration's foreign policy department Hikmet Hajiyev has noted the importance of Armenia's recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, renouncing Armenian territorial claims to Baku, and withdrawing Armenian forces from Azerbaijani territory.
Hajiyev commented on regional processes in an article titled, "Does Armenia Want to Derail Peace in the South Caucasus?" published in the online edition of the U.S. magazine The National Interest.
"Azerbaijan has taken the first steps to map out the road to peace. The ball is now in Armenia's court, with its political leadership," he said.
He also said that any country's territorial integrity and sovereignty are inviolable, and that a selective approach to separatism is unacceptable.
"Verbal statements from the Armenian leadership on supporting Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should be inked within a peace treaty," he said, adding that Armenia should also withdraw all its territorial claims on Azerbaijan and pull out all elements of its armed forces from Azerbaijani territory. "There is no other way forward," he said.