Azerbaijan Thursday condemned the provocative statements by the Armenian side regarding the situation in the Karabakh region.

"Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's attempts to manipulate the situation in the region are unacceptable," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said in response to Pashinian's comments during his speech at the U.S.-hosted Summit for Democracy a day earlier.

"It is no secret that Armenia continues its aggressive activities by portraying itself as a democracy."

During his speech, Pashinian assailed Baku for its "act of aggression" last September, referring to a series of deadly border clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops that left nearly 300 dead on either side.

He also accused Azerbaijan of allegedly conducting "an attempt of ethnic cleansing of Armenians" in Karabakh.

Hajizada hit back by saying that Pashinian's "provocative statements ... indicate Armenia's intention to deliberately disrupt the peace process ... (and) revival of international efforts for peace."

He said there is "no reason" to misinterpret the International Court of Justice's decision regarding the Lachin road.

The Azerbaijani army took measures to "prevent Armenia's use of dirt roads for illegal activities in the north of the Lachin road," said Hajizada.

"Preventing the illegal activities of Armenia, which has intensified the transportation of personnel, ammunition, mines, and other military equipment ... is Azerbaijan's sovereign right," he asserted.

Azerbaijan will take all necessary measures for this purpose, he added.

He said Pashinian's denial of the presence of Armenian forces in Karabakh contradicts statements made by other Armenian officials, including from the Armenian Defense Ministry.

Yerevan's claims that it did not occupy Azerbaijani lands have been "repeatedly proven to be groundless" by U.N. Security Council resolutions, Hajizada said.

"The Armenian side should completely withdraw its forces from the territory of Azerbaijan in accordance with the tripartite statement," he said.

"The Armenian side should give up its territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Instead of inviting international organizations to Azerbaijan and interfering in the internal affairs of our country, it should fulfill its obligations," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said it has taken control of a "vast border area" and several strategic heights and roads in the Lachin area.

Tensions have been growing over Armenian military movements in the region, which Azerbaijan has denounced as a "gross violation" of trilateral agreements between the two countries and Russia.

On March 5, Baku said Armenian forces shot two of its soldiers dead when they tried to stop vehicles for an inspection on the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu road.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military illegally occupied Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

Clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian Army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and around 300 settlements and villages that Armenia had occupied for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, which was seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.

However, the cease-fire has been violated several times since then.