BAKU, September 9. /TASS/. Armenia and the Karabakh leadership under its control are not interested in a peace settlement and have chosen the path of aggravating the situation and provocations, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the election of the president of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Armenia and the so-called regime created by it, which is taking steps to preserve the status quo and continue its policy of occupation, are not interested in the peace process at all. On the contrary, they have chosen the path of provocations and aggravation," the statement reads.

The Foreign Ministry recalled that the sole legitimate basis for the expression of political will in the country were the laws and the Constitution of Azerbaijan.

"Armenia is rudely interfering in the internal affairs of our country. The Republic of Azerbaijan will resolutely suppress threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed, noting that the only way to achieving peace and stability in the region was the unconditional and complete withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Karabakh, as well as the "dissolution of the so-called regime."

On Saturday, the legislature of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh elected a new president. Samvel Shahramanyan was the only candidate.

Baku and Yerevan have been disputing sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. In September 2020, hostilities broke out in the region once again. On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on the complete cessation of hostilities. Russian peacekeepers were brought into the region to ensure the operation of humanitarian corridors. On May 17, 2023, at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, Pashinyan said that Yerevan recognized the sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its borders, which included Nagorno-Karabakh.