Armenian media outlets have misinterpreted remarks made by a representative of the Azerbaijani delegation on the sidelines of the 108th Rose-Roth Seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, currently taking place in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. Moreover, News.am has even misrepresented the seminar’s theme, suggesting that participants were discussing Azerbaijan as a “troublemaker.” This is entirely inaccurate.
The first question posed by the Armenian journalist was formulated in a misleading way, as it was based on false premises. The journalist concluded with the following question:
“Can this be seen as a sign of territorial claims if Azerbaijan does not want a peace agreement with Armenia?”
M. Muradov’s response was concise and clear:
“There are no territorial claims. Azerbaijan remains concerned that Armenia’s declaration of independence contains certain territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Therefore, it is important for Baku that these claims are officially disavowed. This is the only remaining barrier to normalization of the peace treaty.”
However, when reviewing the Armenian news coverage, it becomes evident that Muradov’s answers were taken out of context and mixed together. For instance, News.am article presents his comments as follows:
“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.”
This phrasing misrepresents the actual discussion, implying that Muradov was explaining Azerbaijan’s alleged reluctance to sign a peace treaty due to territorial claims—when in reality, his remarks referred to the territorial claims embedded in Armenia’s own declaration of independence, which remain an obstacle to lasting peace.
By altering the sequence and context of Muradov’s statements, News.am creates a false narrative about Azerbaijan’s position. The Azerbaijani delegate’s message was clear: Azerbaijan has no territorial claims, and genuine peace requires Armenia to renounce any implicit claims found in its foundational documents.