Azerbaijan urges ECO members to prevent attempts of attracting in economic activities in occupied lands
By Rashid Shirinov
By endangering regional security and stability and impeding full-scale regional cooperation, Armenia continues to occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on September 25.
He made the remarks at an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in New York.
Mammadyarov noted that Armenia, continuing its aggressive policy, is trying to involve other countries by attracting business, trade and investment to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
“It is very important for our cooperation that all countries are informed about these intentions of Armenia, and refuse any involvement – whether in social, economic or cultural spheres – in the activities in the occupied Azerbaijani lands,” the foreign minister said.
He called on all ECO member states to prevent any attempts of attracting in trade, economic and investment activities in the occupied Azerbaijani territories and with the regime there.
“The withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes, along with contributing to peace and security in the South Caucasus region, will also strengthen large-scale cooperation within the region,” Mammadyarov stressed.
Any business, economic, research or other kind of activity in Nagorno-Karabakh and other Azerbaijani regions occupied by Armenia are illegal and the country takes necessary measures against those who are engaged in such activities. Moreover, unauthorized visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories are also considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s list of undesirable persons.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, 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.
To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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