Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 22
By Samir Mammadov - Trend:
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's populist speech at the regular session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Moscow sounds like that of someone lacking geographical knowledge, the Azerbaijani defense ministry told Trend Dec.22.
Sargsyan, who was directly involved in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and massacring of innocent people, and who has brought terrorism, separatism and occupation up to state level, is now simply trying to mislead and dazzle the international community, according to the ministry.
"This criminal, who heads gangs in Nagorno-Karabakh separatist regime unrecognized by any country, including Armenia, and who maintains close relations with terrorist organizations and constantly deceives the Armenian people, asks for mercy and help for his "long-suffering people" through his contradictory statements in various organizations," the ministry said.
Azerbaijani armed forces actively involved in the fight against terrorism and separatism will do anything necessary to eradicate terrorism, occupation and separatism within internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan, said the ministry.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.