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Presidential aide: Appropriate steps being taken regarding illegally constructed buildings during occupation

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan – Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev

01 May 2026 17:47 (UTC +04:00)

Although the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict has ended, the humanitarian consequences caused by the conflict remain on the agenda, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said in a statement to journalists, APA reports.

“Mines continue to disturb the daily lives of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and remain a direct source of danger. Since 2020, more than 420 of our citizens have been killed or seriously injured as a result of mine explosions. More than one million mines were planted in the territories of Azerbaijan by the Armenian armed forces during the occupation. Therefore, this issue remains on our agenda. The Republic of Azerbaijan is taking steps to clear our territories of mines using its own internal resources. However, this is a large-scale task. It also negatively affects the process of reconstruction and restoration of the territories,” Hikmat Hajiyev noted.

The presidential aide also commented on the appeal by representatives of some non-governmental organizations in Armenia regarding Armenian-origin individuals detained in Azerbaijan ahead of the European Political Community event to be held in Yerevan: “They are also politicizing the issue related to those individuals. There is law here, and legal decisions have been made regarding those individuals by the judicial structures of the Republic of Azerbaijan on a legal basis. If there is a crime, there is also punishment. Necessary legal steps have been taken regarding war criminals in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the principles of international humanitarian law. Mr. President has described this process as the Nuremberg tribunal of the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, when such appeals are made, civil society institutions in Armenia should also clarify that citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan continue to suffer from the mine problem.

At the same time, in recent periods, various circles in Armenia have taken incorrect and provocative positions regarding the reconstruction processes in the city of Khankendi and other cities. It should be noted that large-scale reconstruction and construction works are being carried out by our country in these territories, and within this process, appropriate steps are being taken regarding some structures illegally built during the occupation period. According to urban planning principles and the Geneva Conventions, various construction activities carried out by the occupying side during the occupation, violating the property rights and sovereignty of that country, are considered illegal. The removal of such internationally unlawful construction sites and their alignment with general urban planning and urban development plans are among the necessary conditions. Our country is also taking steps in this direction.”