Baku: Armenia bears int’l legal responsibility for occupation of Azerbaijani territories

  22 May 2018    Read: 2498
Baku: Armenia bears int’l legal responsibility for occupation of Azerbaijani territories

In light of Yerevan’s frivolous and unfounded statements, the international community is witnessing Armenia’s engagement in destructive policy, populism and political adventure in the settlement process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told on Tuesday.

Armenia, in a gross violation of Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter, used force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and occupied Azerbaijani lands, noted Hajiyev.

The spokesman recalled that the Minsk Group was established under the decision of the OSCE Helsinki Ministerial Council in March 1992, with Armenia and Azerbaijan being recognized as conflicting parties and the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region as the concerned parties.

He stressed that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) put an end to Armenia’s persistent denial of responsibility for the illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories and its military presence in these territories.

The ECHR judgment in the case of “Chiragov and Others v. Armenia” states that “the Republic of Armenia, through its military presence and the provision of military equipment and expertise, has been significantly involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from an early date” and “this military support has been – and continues to be – decisive for the conquest of and continued control over the territories in issue,” Hajiyev added.

Armenia that is responsible for the ongoing aggression against Azerbaijan, the occupation of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories, the presence of Armenian troops in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the expulsion of hundreds of Azerbaijani citizens from the occupied territories, and prevents them from returning to these territories is guilty of violating international law, Hajiyev said.  

"It is the Republic of Armenia that uses force against Azerbaijan and bears international legal responsibility for the occupation of Azerbaijan lands,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan's biggest concession is negotiating with the occupant country – Armenia – for more than 25 years.”  

"Lasting peace and security in the region can be ensured if Armenia does not repeat the mistakes of previous regime and puts an end to the policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing and withdraws its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," the spokesman noted.  

“The sooner Armenia realizes this reality, the sooner peace will be ensured in the region,” Hajiyev concluded. 


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