Azerbaijan’s delegation made a statement at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council held on October 16.

The Azerbaijani delegation updated the Permanent Council on the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan and its consequences as well as situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the reporting period since the last meeting of the Permanent Council on October 8, the Foreign Ministry told AzVision.az.

It pointed out that despite the agreement on a humanitarian ceasefire, agreed in Moscow on 10 October, Armenia’s armed forces continued direct and indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population and civilian objects in Azerbaijan along the frontline in a gross violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

The delegation noted that Armenia’s alleged support for and adherence to the ceasefire is nothing other than utter falsehood and smokescreen.

“No doubt, Armenia’s objective is not to save lives and resolve the conflict peacefully, but to prepare for a new aggression under the disguise of a ceasefire,” the statement read. “Thus, immediately after the establishment of a ceasefire, the armed forces of Armenia opened artillery fire on Aghdam and Tartar districts of Azerbaijan. A few hours later, Armenian armed forces tried to launch an offensive in the direction of Hadrut and Jabrayil, in an attempt to recapture these territories, which were liberated from the Armenian occupation. It is particularly disturbing that right after the announcement of humanitarian ceasefire, on the night of 11 October, Ganja, the second largest city in Azerbaijan, came under missile attack. As a result, 10 civilians were killed, including 4 women, and 34 civilians, including 16 women and 6 children were injured.”

“The same day, the city of Mingachevir, also situated far away from the frontline and 104 km from the border with Armenia, was subjected to missile attack by the armed forces of Armenia. The missile fell in close vicinity of the building of the Azerbaijan Thermal Power Plant, which is located in the Mingachevir Water Hydropower Complex, the largest water reservoir in the South Caucasus,” said the statement. “On 12 and 13 October, the Tartar, Aghdam, Aghjabadi, Goranboy and Tartar districts of Azerbaijan were shelled by missiles and artillery from various directions, causing civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian and public property. Since the morning of 14 October artillery fire by the Armenia’s armed forces continued against the Tartar city of Azerbaijan. As a result of this shelling, 1 civilian was killed, 6 were wounded. In the morning of 15 October 2020, as a result of deliberate attack of Armenian armed forces on a graveyard in Tartar city of Azerbaijan 4 civilians were killed and 4 wounded.”

The Azerbaijani delegation said hastily organized covert arms supply to Armenia from the CIS and Middle Eastern countries prove that Armenia is preparing for new offensive operations.

“Admission by the Armenian side of deployment of so-called “volunteers” to the combat operations attests to Armenia’s recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and mercenaries. Despite ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, significant increase is being observed in flights to Armenia,” it added.

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