YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan must stop the arms race and the military rhetoric, Armenia’s National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said, commenting on Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s statement on Monday. 

Reflecting on the Karabakh issue, during the Azerbaijani government’s session, Aliyev had said: “The day will come when the Azerbaijani flag will wave in [Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), or Artsakh, capital] Stepanakert and [the NKR’s] Shushi [city].”  

“First, Azerbaijan must stop the arms race and the military rhetoric. Second, it must prepare its society for peace, not for war,” Sharmazanov responded.   

He also added: “Third, if Aliyev Junior very much wants to see the Azerbaijani flag in Stepanakert, there is solely one way to achieve that: establishing diplomatic relations with the independent republic of Artsakh. As a result, the independent republic of Artsakh’s flag will wave at the NKR Embassy in Baku, and they can place their flag at the neighboring Azerbaijan’s embassy building in the NKR capital Stepanakert.”       

“I believe those in the country to the east of Artsakh must sooner or later acknowledge that the NKR’s international recognition has no alternative.” Armenia’s National Assembly Deputy Speaker concluded.