Details added: the first version posted on 14:57
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7
Trend:
The Armenian side does not fulfill its obligations upon the international humanitarian law, as well as upon the signed trilateral declaration [on ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region], Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports.
Abdullayeva was commenting on the appeal of the French Foreign Ministry and Global Affairs Canada (GAC, or Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development) to release the detained Armenian servicemen.
According to her, the French MFA and the GAC positively assessed the release of the three detained Armenian servicemen and called for the release of other detainees.
"This isn’t the first humane step on the part of Azerbaijan. Our country handed over Armenian prisoners to the opposite side even during military operations,” she reminded. “After the cessation of hostilities, the Azerbaijani side handed over more than 70 Armenian prisoners. In response, Armenia struck a blow to the fragile peace achieved with great difficulty, by introducing their troops into Azerbaijani territories literally 20 days after the cessation of hostilities.”
“As a result of the terrorist attack committed by these soldiers, four Azerbaijani servicemen were killed and one civilian was injured,” she added.
“We bring to the attention of the MFA of France and GAC that the Armenian side does not fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, as well as under the signed trilateral declaration," the spokesperson said.
Besides, she stressed that both countries are informed that Armenia hasn't yet provided information about almost four thousand Azerbaijanis who disappeared during the first Karabakh war in 1991-1994 and also refuses to hand over maps of mined areas in the liberated territories.
If the French Foreign Ministry and Global Affairs Canada want to demonstrate not a one-sided, but an objective approach to the issue, then they must demand that Armenia comply with the obligations of international humanitarian law and abandon activities and actions that impede sustainable peace in the region. Otherwise, this could cause a serious blow to confidence to both countries in Azerbaijani society," Abdullayeva also said.
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.
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.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020 (Second Karabakh war), Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.
Within the trilateral joint statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan took commitment to release all servicemen who were detained during the Second Karabakh war.