Armenia spoils efforts of OSCE to settle Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said Armenia continues to strengthen its military presence and capabilities on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.
The Ministry said in a statement issued on November 20 that the Armenian armed forces started some provocative large-scale military exercises in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan on November 6 with the involvement of about 47,000 military troops and over 3,000 combat equipments and armament, as it was announced by the Armenian official media resources.
The Armenian air forces were also engaged in provocative moves against the armed forces of Azerbaijan.
The Ministry noted that two Mi-24 attack helicopters of the Armenian air forces approached and made attack maneuvers in the immediate vicinity of the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces nearby the village of Kengerly in the occupied Aghdam region on November 12 . One of the helicopters was shot down on the very same occupied territory.
“The downed helicopter belonged to air base No. 15 stationed in Erebuni military base near Yerevan, and its crew members were military servicemen of the Armenian armed forces. This is yet another manifestation of Armenia's aggression, its direct involvement in the occupation of the territories and continued use of force against Azerbaijan,” the Ministry said.
It reminded that in its resolution No.853 (1993), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan specifically "condemns the seizure of the Aghdam region and of all other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan " and "demands an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces involved from the Aghdam region and all other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan".
The Ministry went on to say that the UNSC demands remain unimplemented by Armenia, which not only refuses to withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, but also continues to strengthen its military presence and capability at those territories and conduct large-scale military actions in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UNSC resolutions and the ceasefire regime.
“The use of heavy weaponry, continuous flights over the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and attacks on the position of the Azerbaijani armed forces are confirmed in the official web-site of the Armenian president, as well as by news, photo and video materials provided by the Armenian mass media,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry stressed that these provocative acts by Armenia took place just after the meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents.
“It should be taken into consideration, that these provocative military exercises were launched just after the meetings of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents organized by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries in Sochi on August 10, at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the Wales on September 4, at the initiative of U.S. State Secretary John Kerry and in Paris on October 27 and at the initiative of French President Francois Hollande,” the statement reads.
The Ministry noted that the meetings included positive indications that the progress at the ongoing peace negotiations could be achieved.
“Armenian military exercises at the Azerbaijan’s lands absolutely do not correspond to the spirit of these talks and to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries’ leaders, as well as undermine confidence building to reach negotiated solution for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,” according to the Ministry.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.