Baku: Armenia again resorts to provocations in Nagorno-Karabakh
By Rashid Shirinov
The exercises conducted by Armenian Armed Forces with involvement of artillery and heavy equipment in the occupied Azerbaijani region of Aghdam is another serious provocation of Armenia that threatens the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Hikmet Hajiyev, Spokesman of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry made the remark while talking to APA.
“This Armenian provocation is nothing but an insult to the peace initiatives put forward at the highest level by the co-chair countries. This behavior of Armenia calls into question the sincerity of Armenian leadership towards the peace talks and the MG co-chairs,” Hajiyev noted.
In the meantime, Armenian Armed Forces continue their provocative actions on the front line. On September 20, the Armenian armed units, using large-caliber machine guns, 21 times violated the ceasefire on different areas of the front line, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported.
Armenian armed forces, stationed in Armenia`s Vazashen village in Ijevan region, Mosesgekh village in Berd region subjected to fire the positions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces located in Bala Jafarli village in Gazakh region, Alibayli village in Tovuz region.
The ceasefire was also violated in Horadiz, Garakhanbayli villages in Fuzuli region, Kuropatkino village in Khojavand region, as well as nameless hills in Goranboy and Jabrayil regions.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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