Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 13
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Armenia is in every way impeding the contact of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh, Deputy Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev told reporters in Baku Oct. 13.
Hajiyev noted that the leadership of Armenia resorts to various statements and puts forward claims that distort the true essence of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“These statements are absurd and absolutely far from reality,” he said. “In particular, the attempts of the Armenian leadership to link the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with human rights, or the views that Azerbaijan allegedly demands territories in Nagorno-Karabakh without the Armenian population are completely unacceptable and far from reality. The reality is that the Armenian side occupied Azerbaijani territories and carried out military aggression against Azerbaijan. As part of the aggression policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan, numerous war crimes and criminal acts were committed against humanity, and this means gross violation of international humanitarian law.”
Hajiyev noted that the Armenian side even refutes the fact of the existence of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh, and in every way impedes the contact of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“I would like to remind Armenia that all international documents on human rights clearly and unequivocally indicate that exercising any other rights when human rights are violated is absolutely unacceptable, and this is the wrong approach,” he added. “It is enshrined in all documents on the protection of human rights that these rights are universal in nature, and should be equally ensured. It is obvious that such assertions of Armenia are nothing more than hiding the fact of aggression and occupation. Armenia is taking steps to deceive and mislead the international community.”
Hajiyev added that the fact that such appeals of Armenia coincided with these days is not accidental.
“That’s because an event called the Francophonie Summit is taking place in Armenia, and in this context, Yerevan aims to deceive the international community,” Hajiyev said. “However, all these steps are being taken in vain. The international community strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as part of internationally recognized borders, the Azerbaijani positions in this direction are constantly being strengthened, and this is supported by the documents adopted by international organizations. Armenia should put an end to destructive actions in this direction and take constructive steps to resolve the conflict.”
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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.