Azernews.Az

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Common for Armenia’s policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, another Armenian official has made a provocative statement trying to undermine the negotiation process.

Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, has informed the Armenian society about the country's government plans to build a road in 2020 connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

However, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development of Armenia reported that the project is still at the idea stage and there are no details yet.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan did not leave this statement unnoticed. The ministry called the statement of the Armenian official as another example of the genuine intention of Armenia to consolidate the status-quo based on military occupation, undermine the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement through negotiations and annex the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

MFA added that Armenia’s illegal activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including the infrastructural changes, demonstrate that the Armenian allegations on the conflict settlement by peaceful means are nothing other than hypocrisy and misleading of the international community.

“The experience of Vardenis-Agdere road referred to as the 'northern direction', as well as the central Gorus-Lachin road show that the new road planned to be constructed through Gubadli and Jabrayil regions of Azerbaijan would serve to plundering the natural and other resources of the occupied territories even more aggressively,” the message reads.

Along with the infrastructural changes in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, Armenia carries out other illegal activities such as the destruction of cultural heritage, changing the demographic composition, pillaging of mineral resources, etc.

“The reports prepared as a result of the fact-finding and field assessment missions conducted by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan indicate that the illegal activities constitute a serious threat to the peace process,” the Azerbaijani MFA noted.

The report on “The Illegal Activities in the Territories of Azerbaijan under Armenia’s occupation: Evidence from Satellite Imagery” of 2018 clearly demonstrates the wide scale of Armenian illegal actions. Moreover, the International humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, prohibit any illegal activities in the occupied territories.

“The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office should seriously consider the illegal activities carried out in our occupied territories and seriously affecting the negotiation process,” the message says.

Despite the favorable conditions for the settlement of the conflict, continuing the illegal activities by hiding behind the cease-fire regime is Armenia’s next provocative attempt to undermine the negotiation process. Therefore, all the responsibility rests with Armenia’s political and military leadership.

Azerbaijani MFA strongly condemned the provocative actions of Armenia, which continues to commit illegal acts in the occupied territories grossly violating the international obligations and demanded the aggressor to put an end to its actions that undermine peace, security and stability in the region, and withdraw its forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan retains its right to respond appropriately to such provocations of the aggressor state,” the ministry’s message concluded.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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