Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The principle of self-determination of nations is one of the highest principles in international law. So, the politicization of international law, in particular the principle of self-determination of peoples and its usage for political speculation is unacceptable.

"Unfortunately, we are witnessing such a practice on the part of Armenia," Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev said, when commenting on Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian's statements on the principle of self-determination of peoples.

Hajiyev noted that in the UN charter, the right of peoples for self-determination refers to the non-self-governing and the occupied territories struggling against the colonization.

He said the 1975 Helsinki Final Act states that the participating states will respect the equal right of peoples to self-determination, acting at all times in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN charter and relevant norms of international law, including those relating to territorial integrity of states.

Apparently, the self-determination should not contradict the UN charter and territorial integrity, he said.

"Regarding the territorial integrity, the Helsinki Final Act says that the states shall not directly or through violence and military aggression appropriate the territory of another state. This document also states that such aggression or appropriation of the territory will be considered illegal," Hajiyev stressed.

He went on to add that amid Armenia's occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan, as well as ethnic cleansing, it is inappropriate to talk about the right to self-determination.

Hajiyev stressed that these actions of Armenia are contrary to the fundamental principles, the essence and philosophy of the right for self-determination of peoples.

"Edward Nalbandian either does not know this, or he is deliberately turning the principle of self-determination of peoples and international law into the object of political speculations and this is regretful," he added.

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.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.