BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. A letter from Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Gutterres on September 27, 2023, on the results of local anti-terrorist measures carried out in the country's Karabakh region and the disarmament of the Armenian armed forces continuing their illegal activities in the territories of Azerbaijan, was distributed as a document to the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly (UNGA), the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend.
Besides, additional information with photos of weapons and ammunition surrendered as part of the disarmament process was also distributed as a document by the UNSC and UNGA.
The letter detailed the outcomes of anti-terrorist operations carried out on Azerbaijan's sovereign territory in complete accordance with international humanitarian law to end the illegal presence of Armenian armed forces, which posed a threat to Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty in the Karabakh region.
"In this context, information was presented about the process of disarming Armenian armed forces, demobilization, and the reintegration efforts undertaken by Azerbaijan," the ministry said.
In accordance with the terms of the trilateral statement, the letter emphasized that the quantities of weapons and ammunition surrendered by Armenian illegal formations as part of the disarmament process serve as a clear example of turning Azerbaijan's sovereign territories into militarized zones and the ongoing illegal supply of Armenia with large-scale destructive weapons.
Besides, the letter emphasized that Armenia's destructive and insincere actions undermine Azerbaijan's ongoing efforts over the past three years to achieve peace and stability in the region through a peaceful process.
The letter also discussed the work carried out by Azerbaijan in the context of the reintegration of the local Armenian population of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
Immediately after the completion of local anti-terrorist measures, practical work on reintegration was initiated, including the establishment of a relevant working group, as the letter reminded.
Moreover, as the letter noted, on September 21, a meeting was held in Yevlakh, and on September 24, the city of Khankendi was connected to Azerbaijan's power grid, ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to the Armenian residents of Karabakh.
The letter also informed the UN Secretary-General about the humanitarian aid being delivered to the local Armenian population via the Lachin-Khankendi and Aghdam-Khankendi roads.
The letter called on the international community to resolutely reject any attempts to incite hatred and hostility at this historic time and to support efforts for peaceful coexistence and reiterated Azerbaijan's unwavering commitment to efforts aimed at ensuring the rights and security of the local Armenian residents and their reintegration into the social, economic, legal, and constitutional framework of Azerbaijan.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.
Azerbaijan has started real efforts on the reintegration of Armenians living in the Karabakh region after the separatists have been defeated. In this context, on September 21, 25, and 29, 2023, Ramin Mammadov, the person authorized to handle communications with Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with representatives of those citizens in the cities of Yevlakh and Khojaly.
Reintegration plans for the Republic of Azerbaijan were presented, and discussions were held during the said meetings.
Reintegration is carried out on the basis of the Constitution, laws, and international obligations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The equality of rights and freedoms, including security, is guaranteed to everyone regardless of their ethnic, religious, or linguistic affiliation.