Details added: first version posted on 17:38
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 17
Trend:
The military-political leadership of Armenia continues to make provocative statements to compensate for the failure of the recent military adventure on Azerbaijani-Armenian state border on July 12-16 and to divert attention from the growing socio-economic and political crisis in Armenia, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports on August 17.
According to the ministry, the Armenia's leadership being guided by "new war for new territories" idea undertook the provocation in the direction of Tovuz district along the state border in order to implement its aggressive military strategy.
All this clearly demonstrates that Armenia's intentions are not to eliminate the consequences of the conflict, but to continue the occupation strategy based on the illegal use of force, said the ministry.
"After making the statements of the Armenian military-political circles that large settlements of Azerbaijan and such strategically important civilian objects as the Mingachevir hydroelectric power station are considered as 'military targets', the Armenian side, through the so-called "head " of the illegal regime created in the occupied territories Azerbaijan, is trying to threaten the Azerbaijani people with a military strike on the city of Ganja,” the ministry said.
“All this reveals the terrorist essence of Armenia, which does not abandon its aggressive policy. Armenia, which, after decisively repelling its military provocations thanks to the military power and high professionalism of the Azerbaijani army, found itself in a helpless position both inside the country and abroad, again resorting to its traditional method - targeting civilian objects and civilians, and in a manner characteristic to terrorist organizations pursues a goal to instill fear among civilians,” the ministry noted.
The Armenian side, abusing humanitarian problems in the Middle East for its vile political purposes, announced a plan for the illegal resettlement of ethnic Armenians after the horrific explosion from the Lebanese city of Beirut to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, added the ministry.
“Through the illegal regime created in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Armenia announced its intention to move some so-called "official institutions" to Shusha,” the ministry noted. “This insidious intention towards the city of Shusha, which is of exceptional importance for the Azerbaijani people in terms of its cultural, historical and spiritual terms, is another attempt aimed at strengthening the policy of ethnic cleansing carried out in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.”
As the ministry added, the restoration of the right for a safe and decent return of the Azerbaijani population expelled from their homeland to their places of permanent residence in Nagorno Karabakh, including the city of Shusha, as well as in all other occupied territories, runs like a red thread throughout the entire process of the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
“Armenia, within the framework of illegal economic and other activities that it carries out in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, is taking steps towards changing the infrastructure of the Sarsang reservoir [in Nagorno Karabakh],” the ministry stated.
“Armenia's actions in relation to the reservoir are illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources, a violation of the rights of state and private property. By using the Sarsang reservoir as an instrument of environmental terrorism since the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenia deprives Azerbaijani citizens living near our occupied territories of water resources,” pointed out the ministry.
“As a result, the ecological situation in these regions has worsened and biodiversity has been damaged. This fact is unconditionally enshrined in Resolution No. 2085 (2016) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Armenia's attempts to change the reservoir infrastructure should be seen as the next step in the framework of Armenia's environmental terror policy,” the ministry said.
“Moreover, all infrastructure changes in the occupied territories, including the construction of roads connecting Armenia with the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as steps related to the Sarsang reservoir, serve as an illegal policy to attract more ethnic Armenians to settle in the occupied territories,” the ministry further said. “Armenia must stop testing the patience of the international community, and first of all the Azerbaijani state and society, with its illegal actions and provocative statements.”
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry unequivocally states that Azerbaijan is determined to take all necessary steps to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, protect the constitutional order, ensure the security, rights and freedoms of its citizens, using all the resources provided by the Constitution of Azerbaijan and international law.
According to the ministry, it informed the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs about these provocative attempts aimed at increasing tension in the region and finally disrupting all possibilities for a peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
“In order to adequately assess the behavior of Armenia, to prevent steps that could lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the region as a whole, and to resolve the conflict peacefully, it is necessary to return it to the negotiation process, the political and legal framework of which is based on four relevant UN Security Council resolutions - No. No. 822, 853, 874 and 884 (1993), and OSCE Resolutions”, added the ministry.
The ministry stressed that it will continue to take the necessary steps to suppress the illegal activities of Armenia and eliminate its consequences, using all political and diplomatic mechanisms.
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, 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 the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.