YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The majority of people included in the Azerbaijani black list considers it an honor to be in that list which they have repeatedly stated, Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said at a press conference, in response to the view according to which the Azerbaijani authorities announce that all those who visit Nagorno Karabakh are victims of the Armenian propaganda and after returning to their home countries they apologize to Azerbaijan and ask to remove them from the black list, Armenpress reports.

“If we believe in Baku’s claims according to which all those who visit Karabakh, return, regret and ask for apology, this list would not increase and 600-700 persons would not be included in it. According to their data, 5-6 persons from this list asked to remove them from the list”, the FM said.

Minister Nalbandian recalled that during a Q&A session in the Parliament he once said that the number of people visiting Artsakh will increase after blogger Alexander Lapshin’s case. “And this happened, you are also aware of. I think the Azerbaijani claims have nothing to do with reality, especially when the great majority of people included in that list considers an honor to be in it which they have repeatedly stated. And even those who asked to remove them from the list and apologized, Alexander Lapshin as well have made several disclosing statements on the black lists and bans used by Azerbaijan”, the Armenian FM said.

He stated that the times to restrict people’s right to free movement by force have gone.