BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25
Trend:
According to our intelligence, very serious military training is under way, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said when receiving EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, Trend reports.
“It is beyond doubt that the decision to hold the swearing-in ceremony for the so-called leader of the criminal junta in Shusha, an ancient historical city of Azerbaijan, was another deliberate act of provocation. You are also aware that Azerbaijan has already raised the issue of illegal settlement of Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan with many international organizations. This is a flagrant violation of international law. This is a violation of the Geneva Convention and it is a crime. They are moving Armenians from Lebanon to Shusha and other occupied territories. They demonstrate it, they show it on TV and on the Internet. As a matter of fact, they completely ignore the norms of international law and commit crimes. The reason they are able to do this is that there is no-one to stop them. The Minsk Group co-chairs do not stop them. The statements by the Minsk Group are not directly aimed at anyone. Because Azerbaijan has not taken any provocative steps. We did not attack them at the state border, we did not send a sabotage group, we did not announce the creation of a volunteer army, we did not commit any other provocations. All provocations are committed by Armenia, and they are doing it deliberately, they are demonstrating it. The lack of international pressure on them – which I have repeatedly raised in meetings with the Minsk Group co-chairs – leads to very dangerous steps and may have unpredictable consequences,” the head of state said.
“We have other information. According to our intelligence, very serious military training is under way, their armed forces are being concentrated on the line of contact, on the state border. We are monitoring the situation and will defend ourselves, as we have already done in Tovuz and in many other cases. If they attack us, they will regret it. I just want you to know about this and convey this message to the European Commission. I want to see what the European Commission will do to contain the new provocations of the aggressor,” Azerbaijani president said.