There are no territorial claims against Azerbaijan. But according to the constitution of Armenia, the latter has territorial claims in its declaration of Independence, and this may be the only obstacle to not signing the peace treaty. Delegate representing Azerbaijan and founder of the Topchubashov Center, Murad Muradov, told this to reporters Monday, on the margins of the 108th Rose-Roth Seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which is being held in Armenia’s capital Yerevan—and addressing the question of why Azerbaijan does not sign the peace treaty with Armenia, and if this mean that Azerbaijan has territorial claims against Armenia.

It is important for Azerbaijan that these claims are canceled. It only creates potential legal grounds, which at the moment is an obstacle to signing the peace agreement itself, said Muradov.

To the remark that there are provisions in the constitution of Azerbaijan that imply territorial claims against Armenia, why the principle of reciprocity does not apply here, and, also, changing the constitution will not be possible very quickly, as a referendum is needed for that, the Azerbaijani delegate said that the constitution of Azerbaijan does not have any territorial claims against Armenia, it is more about Azerbaijan being part of the eastern region of the South Caucasus; but as such, Azerbaijan does not have any territorial claims or ambitions according to its constitution.

And to the question that in that case, when “Western Azerbaijan” is declared, what it is about, and if it is a territorial claim against Armenia, Muradov replied by saying that absolutely not. He noted that by saying “Western Azerbaijan” the Azerbaijanis mean that they preserve and respect each other’s regional integrity. It is more of an NGO that serves the interests of the Azerbaijani people, and it is more about Azerbaijani cultural heritage because Azerbaijanis have lived in these territories for many years, and they want to visit the graves of their relatives, etc. It's more of a concept that serves the interests of Azerbaijani cultural heritage and the people, said Murad Muradov.