BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. We resolutely reject and vehemently condemn the anti-Azerbaijani remarks made by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman at the Independence Day event held at the Embassy of Armenia in the United States on 16 September 2024, the Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aykhan Hajizada wrote on X, Trend reports.
''Highly irresponsible remarks by the Deputy Administrator are aimed at distorting the facts about the antiterror measures by Azerbaijan in its sovereign territories that ended the illegal presence of Armenia’s forces in its territories,'' he noted.
''Azerbaijan’s measures were in full compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law, and have never targeted the civilian population,'' he added.
''Instead of condemning the failure to withdraw Armenian armed forces and the Armenian leadership's military and political provocations, including the Armenian Prime Minister's reckless congratulatory message of September 2, 2023, to the proxy regime supported by Armenia for the past 30 years that led to the anti-terrorist measures, USAID officials' statements against Azerbaijan are nothing more than encouragement of separatism and revanchist forces within Armenia.
USAID’s shortsighted policy that has not shown the same enthusiasm about ten times larger Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs in the region, and ignorance of current realities is detrimental, and will not yield any result for the sake of peace and security in the region, '' the publication reads.