THE HAGUE, April 16. /TASS/. Armenia has no claims to Azerbaijani territories and is committed to creating conditions for a stable and long-term peace, Armenian representative Yeghishe Kirakosyan said at a debate at the UN International Court of Justice.

The hearing is devoted to preliminary objections filed by Azerbaijan in a case initiated by Armenia over the alleged violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

"Azerbaijan increasingly characterizes human rights disputes with Armenia as attempts to challenge Azerbaijani sovereignty or territorial integrity and claims that this case is an obstacle to peace between the two countries," Kirakosyan stressed. "But Azerbaijan is wrong, Armenia has no claim to Azerbaijani territories and is committed to creating conditions for a strong and lasting peace," he added.

Earlier in the court, Azerbaijani representative Elnur Mammadov stated that the court had no jurisdiction to consider the case, as the charges brought by Armenia do not fall under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In addition, the Azerbaijani side believes that the claim is also inadmissible for consideration, as Armenia has not fulfilled the mandatory condition to hold proper negotiations with the Azerbaijani side to settle the dispute bilaterally.

Kirakosyan also noted that Armenia intends to challenge both of these claims during the hearings. "Armenia negotiated in good faith and fulfilled the court's requirements in form and substance," he said. "Therefore, this objection of Azerbaijan should be rejected by the court." Besides, the Armenian side believes that with its arguments Azerbaijan "has not even come close to proving that Armenia's claims do not fall within the scope of the convention on racial discrimination."

Armenia initiated legal proceedings with Azerbaijan at the UN International Court of Justice on September 16, 2021 under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The lawsuit accuses Azerbaijan of decades-long racial discrimination that came to the fore during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of September 2020. Azerbaijan filed a counterclaim on September 23 of the same year, alleging that Armenia has committed a number of discriminatory acts against Azerbaijanis on the basis of their national and ethnic origin.

Both sides had previously requested interim measures, which are set by the court to avoid escalation of tensions between the parties while the proceedings are ongoing. These requests were partially satisfied.