BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.6
Trend:
Armenian Diaspora is financing terrorism, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports on Nov.6.
According to Hajiyev, in order to compensate for the large losses on the battlefield, Armenia attracts financial resources by mobilizing various non-governmental (NGO) and charitable organizations of the Diaspora in foreign countries (‘We are our borders - All for Artsakh’ donation campaign, Armenia Fund, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Canadian Medical Association of Ontario, Fund for Armenian Relief, Tufenkian Foundation, Armenian Relief Society, and others).
He said that the funds received through non-governmental and charitable organizations run by the diaspora are directed to finance Armenian Armed Forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, thereby encouraging the next attacks of Armenia on the civilian population of Azerbaijan.
"The fact is proved by the correspondence in social media and networks between Armenians living abroad,” the president’s assistant noted. “It’s not the first time when the diaspora abroad, abusing non-governmental and charitable organizations, uses the funds to support illegal activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, continue the occupation, as well as to purchase weapons for the occupier troops. Over the past 30 years, the Armenian Diaspora has been active in this direction, deceiving the taxpayers of the respective countries.”
“Transfers of funds were made to the illegal regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan without any control, which is the financing of terrorism,” Hajiyev pointed out. “In accordance with the provisions of the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and 4 UN Security Council Resolutions Nos. 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), 2195 (2014) and 2347 (2017), the above activities of non-profit organizations are regarded as terrorism financing.”
“States should take proactive measures to prevent such activities. In this view, Azerbaijan calls on the UN member countries to prevent the use of their territories to finance the Armenian terror directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country," he added.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.
Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.
The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.
Despite the fact that so far the parties have reached an agreement on a humanitarian ceasefire three times, Armenia continues to violate this agreement.
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, the 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.