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Vienna (OTS) – As a result of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has lasted for 30 years, more than 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan is occupied by the Armenian armed forces. More than one million Azerbaijanis had to leave their homes and settle as internally displaced persons in various regions of Azerbaijan under difficult conditions.
In the negotiations, mediated by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Armenian side took a non-constructive position and left no room for a political solution to the conflict. And the international community does not treat Armenia as an aggressor state and does not exert political pressure on this country to take a constructive position and move its armed forces out of the occupied territories in accordance with Council Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884. 1993 UN Security Council. Azerbaijan withdraws.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that Armenia’s ongoing military aggression against Azerbaijan and the presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan pose a great threat to regional peace and stability.
The military and political leadership of Armenia has often spoken openly against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, declared that Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Armenia, and called for a change in the negotiation format within the Minsk Group of the OSCE. At the same time, the Armenian side regularly carried out provocations against Azerbaijan from the occupied territories, as a result of which civilians and soldiers lost their lives. The last such provocation took place on July 12-16 this year, far from the conflict zone, in the direction of the Tovuz district on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
On September 27, 2020, the Armenian armed forces violated the ceasefire and fired intensively large-caliber weapons and multi-caliber artillery at the Azerbaijani army positions and civilian settlements. As a result, several soldiers and civilians were killed and wounded.
Armenia’s targeted attacks against residential and civilian areas constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Convention. Targeting civilians is a tactic that is part of the combat training of the Armenian armed forces, and the most important example Evident of this is the Khojaly genocide in February 1992.
The military attacks by the Armenian armed forces against the Azerbaijani army positions and the bombardment of civilians and civil infrastructure with large-caliber weapons are another act of Armenian military aggression and use of force against Azerbaijan under international law.
The Republic of Azerbaijan had to take the necessary measures to exercise the right of self-defense in accordance with article 51 of the UN statute to neutralize the military objects from which civilian settlements in Azerbaijan were bombed and started a counter-offensive. The objective of Azerbaijan is to avoid provocations by Armenia, guarantee the security of the civilian population and, above all, liberate the occupied territories from the occupiers.
In recent days, the Azerbaijani army has achieved considerable success and liberated part of its occupied territories. Unlike Armenia, the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan only attack military objects on the opposite side.
The accusations from some political circles in Austria that Azerbaijan is using Islamist fighters in the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh are not based on any fact and therefore completely unfounded. Azerbaijan has 10 million inhabitants, a very well-trained army and tens of thousands of reservists. Therefore, Azerbaijan does not need foreign fighters.
Instead of targeting Turkey, these political circles should condemn the real aggressor, namely Armenia, which has been occupying Azerbaijani territories for 30 years, so that it can finally put an end to its policy of occupation. Turkey, which has supported Azerbaijan’s just position from the beginning, plays a stabilizing role in the region and is not involved in any way in the conflict.
All responsibility for the current situation and the future development of events rests solely with the political-military leadership of Armenia.
Queries and contact:
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
+4314031322
vienna@mission.mfa.gov.az
http://vienna.mfa.gov.az
