Kuala Lumpur, April 2, AZERTAC

The Malaysian national news agency BERNAMA has published an article on illegal "elections" held in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

Headlined "Elections" in occupied territories of Azerbaijan a violation of international law-Azerbaijan", the article analyzes the country's Foreign Ministry's statement on the so-called "elections".

The article reads: "The recently-held “elections” in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Tuesday constitutes a clear violation of the Constitution of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law, said Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement made available to Bernama on Thursday, the ministry said that these include the United Nations (UN) Charter, CSCE Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and the related UN Security Council Resolutions and, therefore, the "elections" ("presidential and parliamentary") in the Nagorno-Karabakh region shall have no legal effect whatsoever.

The ministry pointed out that the international community has unequivocally and consistently rejected the previous “elections” orchestrated by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and thus, clearly invalidated whatever pretexts that Armenia cynically uses to justify its overt disrespect to international law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as the human rights of the expelled population of the occupied territories.

The ministry further said that the international community has consistently deplored in the strongest terms the use of military force against Azerbaijan and the resulting occupation of its territories.

In 1993, the UN Security Council adopted resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), condemning the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan and reaffirming respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its internationally-recognised borders, it said.

"In those resolutions, the Security Council also confirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan, and demanded the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Other international organisations have adopted a similar position," it said.

The ministry said that elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan may be held only within the Constitutional framework of the Republic of Azerbaijan and full participation of the entire population of the region.

"Any election will be possible only after the withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces, return of the expelled Azerbaijani population to their places of origin, and restoration of dialogue and cooperation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of the region," it said.

The Azerbaijan Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterated that resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is possible only on the basis of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognised borders.

"The military occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan does not represent a solution and any attempt to impose fait accompli, including through organising sham “elections”, will never produce a political outcome desired by Armenia, nor will it bring any positive perspective for this country. Azerbaijan will never reconcile with the occupation of its internationally-recognised territories," it said.

The conflict between the two countries started in 1988 - three years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 - following Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

And in 1992, war broke out between the two former Soviet states, resulting in Armenia’s occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts. All these areas are internationally recognised, including by Malaysia, as part of Azerbaijan."

Vugar Aghayev

Special Correspondent