BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.8
Trend:
Azerbaijani-Turkish joint tactical military exercises in Azerbaijan’s Lachin district serve to ensure regional stability, Spokesperson the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports on Sept. 8
Abdullayeva made the remark commenting on the claims of the Armenian Foreign Ministry that the holding of joint Azerbaijani-Turkish exercises in the Lachin district contradicts the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, and undermines peace and security.
According to her, it’s the sovereign right of each state to conduct various exercises within its international borders.
She noted that to date, Azerbaijan has held numerous military exercises on its territory, including joint exercises with the participation of partner countries.
“The joint tactical exercises launched in Lachin district [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war] are a similar step and serve to ensure stability in the region,” the spokesperson further said.
"We bring to the attention of the Armenian Foreign Ministry that the threat to regional peace and security lies not in the conduct of military exercises by the state on its territory, but in putting forward territorial claims against another country, as Armenia has done for many years, pursuing a policy of military aggression, occupying the territories of another state and disregard for the principles of international law,” she also noted.
“If Armenia is interested in ensuring peace and security in the region, it must fulfill its obligations," added Abdullayeva.
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 first Karabakh war], Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020 [the 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 Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.