Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The aggressive policy of the Armenian government is the root-cause of the current atmosphere of confrontation and poses a threat to security in the region, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev has said.

Abdullayev made the remarks on June 27 while commenting on Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan's statement about the military parade held in Baku on June 26 on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of Azerbaijan's armed forces.

"Strengthening the military potential of Azerbaijan will allow it to provide security for its people. The Armenian aggression keeps the entire region in turmoil, and it is for this reason and in view of the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia that Baku is strengthening its defensive capabilities," Abdullayev said.

Armenia is not a guarantor of security in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said, adding that it is an illegal invader.

"This country cannot be a guarantor of security in the region, as it is pursuing occupation and previously perpetrated bloody ethnic cleansing and expelled the local population. What Armenia is doing today is continuation of its bloody occupation policy. Given the current situation, Azerbaijan should strengthen its defense capabilities," Abdullayev said.

As a result, the Azerbaijani army has now become very powerful, trained and equipped with high-tech arms, he said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for over two decades. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on a pullout from the occupied territories.

Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.

The negotiations are underway on the basis of the peace outline dubbed the Madrid Principles, also known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally displaced persons to return home.