He said that in its presidential note adopted on 18 August 1993, the Security Council condemned the attack on the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan and demanded “a stop to all attacks and an immediate cessation of the hostilities and bombardments, which endanger peace and security in the region, and an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces from the area of Fizuli, and from the districts of Kelbadjar and Agdam and other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic”.

“Notwithstanding the above-mentioned demands of the Security Council, the Armenian forces continued offensive operations within Azerbaijan and completed the seizure of Fizuli by 23 August 1993. The same day, they captured the Jabrayil district and, on 31 August 1993, the Gubadly district of Azerbaijan. Thus, in less than a month after the adoption of Security Council resolution 853 (1993), the Armenian forces attacked and captured three other districts of Azerbaijan situated outside the Daghlyq Garabagh region. On 14 October 1993, the Security Council adopted resolution 874 (1993), reaffirming “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Azerbaijani Republic and of all other States in the region” and “the inviolability of international borders and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory” including the withdrawal of forces from recently occupied territories, expressing serious concern over the humanitarian catastrophe that had emerged in the region, especially a large number of Azerbaijani civilians having become IDPs. It should be noted that the majority of Azerbaijani IDPs are in large part the civilian population inhabiting the occupied surrounding territories. The occupation Fizuli, Jabrayil, and Gubadly in August and of Horadiz and Zangelan on 24 October, and of other districts previously as well as the ethnic cleansing committed in these territories resulted in the mass flow of IDPs, leading to the emergence of one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in Europe after World War II,” Hikmet Hajiyev said.

According to the foreign ministry spokesperson, Armenia’s continuing occupation of Azerbaijani territories and not allowing the Azerbaijani IDPs to return to their homeland as well as the annexationist policy it pursues is a major obstacle to settling the conflict.

“Azerbaijan has stated many times that in the pursuit of achieving progress in settling the conflict and ensuring lasting peace in the region, Armenian troops must be withdrawn from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, as demanded in the UN Security Council’s resolutions,” he said.

More about: