Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 17
By Saba Aghayeva - Trend:
The deputy of the Lithuanian Seimas Dalia Kuodytė's personal opinion does not reflect the position of Lithuania according to Seimas member Juras Pozela.
He was commenting on Kuodytė's provocative statement about the incident with a helicopter belonging to the Armenian armed forces being shot down in the airspace of Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
On Nov. 14, Kuodytė said that Azerbaijan has made an "ordinary provocation", by shooting down the Armenian military helicopter in the airspace of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"This assessment is one-sided and does not contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict," Pozela said.
He said that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, where the Armenian troops are stationed.
"By adopting several resolutions, the international community has repeatedly urged to withdraw the troops from these territories," Pozela said. "Lithuania also supports this position. Kuodytė's certain statements and her recent visit to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh without the necessary permission of the Council of the Seimas is contrary to the international law. This is detrimental to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania."
"The downed military helicopter Mi-24, called a "flying tank" in the Soviet army, took part in the military training in Nagorno-Karabakh," he said. "This is unacceptable in accordance with international agreements."
The deputy also regrets the MPs' statements which do not contribute to a peaceful and lasting settlement of the conflict and can be beneficial only for the countries supporting the separatists.
Pozela's statement is posted on the website of the Lithuanian Seimas.
On Nov. 12, at 13:45 (UTC/GMT +4 hours) a Mi-24 helicopter flying 1,700 meters northeast of the Kengerli village of Aghdam district attacked positions of the Azerbaijani army. One helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani side. The debris of the downed helicopter fell on an area, located 500 meters away from the frontline.
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 four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
edited by CN