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Azerbaijani armed forces are strongest in region, top official says (UPDATE)

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 5 August 2014 18:27 (UTC +04:00)
The Armenian diversionary groups’ attempts to attack the Azerbaijani positions were the planned actions, but they did not achieve their goals and retreated, suffering huge losses.
Azerbaijani armed forces are strongest in region, top official says (UPDATE)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 5

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

The Armenian diversionary groups' attempts to attack the Azerbaijani positions were the planned actions, but they did not achieve their goals and retreated, suffering huge losses, the head of Public and Political Issues Department of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov told Trend on Aug. 5.

"Of course, knowing the growing public concern in Armenia and much pressure to be exerted on the society, the Armenian authorities and the fictional regime of Nagorno-Karabakh avoid providing objective information on the number of their losses," he added.

"We know that the Armenians suffered huge losses due to the vigilance and adequate repulse of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Even despite the stringent censorship, Armenia's media reported about the deaths of dozens of servicemen."

"The Armenian army's reconnaissance and diversionary groups have repeatedly attacked the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border and on the frontline in different directions since late July," he said. "These attacks were intense on August 1-2 and killed 13 servicemen of the national army. While using this opportunity, I express my deepest condolences to the families of servicemen who became martyrs. Patience, restraint, patriotism, and a civilian position that parents of martyrs and their families demonstrate despite the unbearable huge losses, deserve appreciation. This resistance is exemplary for all our people, society and every citizen."

"All these facts once again showed the power and high combat effectiveness of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces," he said. "Armenian occupants got sure that now they are dealing with a professional, combat, disciplined army with the most modern weapons, but not separate armed groups that existed in early 1990s."

"The escalating tension on the front line stems from several reasons. Firstly, the current tension should be perceived as an integral part of Armenia's policy of keeping the current status quo," he stressed.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani diplomacy achieved great success in unmasking Armenia as an aggressor and in bringing the truth about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the world community.

"We succeeded to dislodge the Armenian lobby from the places where it has traditionally dominated. When our country became a member of the UN Security Council, it took necessary steps to draw the attention of the world community to this conflict. All leading international organizations, major power centers, certain influential states emphasized that it is unacceptable to maintain the status quo and supported the settlement of this conflict in accordance with the international law," Hasanov noted.

The top official underscored that Armenia has run out of the reasonable excuses.

"So, on the one hand, the Sargsyan regime attempts to evade from the increasingly insistent demands of the world community about the basic settlement of the problem, in which the OSCE Minsk Group is engaged and to focus the attention on various negative manifestations of the conflict," the top official said.

"On the other hand, the Sargsyan regime tries to restrict Azerbaijan's activities through some agreements, as it is well aware that one day Azerbaijan will use other ways of liberating its occupied territories."

The top official underscored that however, all these attempts will continue to be ineffective, adding that Azerbaijan will continue to use all the opportunities, its resources, strong policy, economic and military potential and will achieve the fair solution to the conflict.

He stressed that at the same time, Armenia attempts to divert the attention of its local community and the Armenian diaspora from the current serious social and economic problems, emphasizing that they openly protest against the country's internal and foreign policy.

"Armenia's aggressive policy led to the country's isolation from the political, social, economic and cultural processes in the region. The entire economy of the country is mainly controlled by Russia and only small part is under the control of the Armenian lobby and certain mafia-controlled persons in the government. It has been deprived of the prospects for development due to the lack of domestic resources, foreign investments, as well as due to isolation from the regional projects. Therefore, today Armenia is in the grip of serious financial difficulties, as well as social and demographic tension".

"Many people in Armenia leave for other countries due to the problems of unemployment, poverty, restrictions on human rights and freedoms. Armenia's official bodies admit that annually an average of 60,000-70,000 people permanently leave the country. There is a growing dissatisfaction in the society and by using the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a trump card, Armenian authorities try to divert the society's attention from the domestic problems," the top official added.

Hasanov pointed out that as long as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved, the state of this country and its people will get worse.

"Armenia, which in fact have lost its national independence, will have to officially recognize this loss after a few years," he stressed.

The top official stressed that Azerbaijan's dynamic development, consistent success in the international arena, high diplomatic activity, further strengthening of relations and cooperation with other countries, high respect and trust of the world to the activities of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev irritate and disturb the Armenian leadership and the Armenian lobby.

"Therefore, they want to undermine the image of the Azerbaijani government and exacerbate the internal social and political situation in the country by resorting to provocations in the political and military spheres for a long time. But it is obvious that all these attempts cause a backfire. Presumably, the latest sabotages of Armenia were aimed at diverting the attention of the world community from other military conflicts in the CIS countries".

The department head went on to add that the international community should have long ago impose severe sanctions on Armenia.

"The sanctions imposed today on Russia in connection with the developments in Ukraine first of all should have been imposed on Armenia which doesn't implement four resolutions of the UN. Armenia is the author of all provocations on the frontline in contrast to all calls of the international community, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, as well as UN resolutions in more than 20 years".

"This country continues to pursue its aggressive policy. Armenia's armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, and carried out ethnic cleansing in these lands, as a result of which over a million people became refugees and IDPs. Armenia doesn't implement the decisions of the influential international structures and the related resolutions of the UN Security Council," he added.

Hasanov underscored that the sabotages by Armenian armed forces caused threat to the lives of civilians living in the border areas, while the tension escalated on the front line, which claimed many lives.

The top official went on to add that the latest provocations by the Armenian side caused the threat of complete violation of the ceasefire.

"I believe that it is important to impose sanctions on Armenia in terms of ensuring security in the whole region. At the same time, the analysis of the similar cases in the international arena show that the most effective way of stopping the aggressor is to take effective practical measures against it. Taking this into account, I think that the appeals of the U.S. Department of State, UN, EU and other influential international structures didn't come up to the expectations of Azerbaijani society".

"The international community, members of the OSCE Minsk Group, and all leading international organizations under the leadership of UN Security Council should pay greater attention to the current situation and take real measures to force Armenia to abandon its destructive activities in order to prevent the escalation of confrontation in the region, " Hasanov concluded.

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