Baku, September 20, AZERTAC

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova, heads of the inter-parliamentary working groups and leaders of Azerbaijan’s delegations to international parliamentary organizations have adopted an appeal to the heads of international parliamentary organizations and foreign parliaments in relation to the anti-terror measures Azerbaijan has launched in response to provocations perpetrated by Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

The appeal sent to AZERTAC states that Azerbaijan remains committed to the process of normalization of relations with Armenia and the signing of a peace agreement with it on the basis of mutual respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Azerbaijan is also making every effort to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region as citizens of Azerbaijan and guarantee all of their rights and freedoms in full accordance with the country’s Constitution and international covenants to which the Republic of Azerbaijan is a signatory. Azerbaijan has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to this process since November 2020. The latest delivery of humanitarian assistance by vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross using the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads at the same time is a further demonstration of Azerbaijan’s desire to defuse tension.

The documents further states with regret that despite the above-mentioned efforts of Azerbaijan, Armenia continued its attempts to target Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and maintain separatists in Azerbaijani territory: Armenia’s continued military provocations on the non-delimitated border and in the Karabakh region, provision of financial, military and technical assistance to the 10,000 troops illegally deployed in Azerbaijani territories, mining of Azerbaijani territories, organization of radio-electronic disturbance for Azerbaijan’s and foreign commercial aircraft, putting forward of unfounded claims such as “blockade” and “humanitarian crisis”, a policy of political blackmail, the messages of congratulation sent to the illegal junta, the so-called “presidential election” by the self-styled separatist regime are among the provocative steps taken by Armenia to undermine the process of normalization.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the continued presence of Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan contrary to the provisions of the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020 poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability, the statement says.

Under these circumstances, civilians and military personnel were killed and injured as a result of a large-scale military provocation and act of terror committed by the Armenian armed forces in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan on September 19.

“In response to all this, the Azerbaijani side has launched an anti-terror measures. This campaign only serves the purpose of disarming the units of the Armenian armed forces, removing them from our territories, neutralizing their military infrastructure, ensuring the safety of the civilian population and restoring the constitutional structure of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Relevant institutions of Azerbaijan have specifically emphasized that the target of the measures being taken are only illegal military formations and their military infrastructure. The civilian population is not a target under any circumstances,” the appeal says.

The authors of the appeal note that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan are as important as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country, and Azerbaijan has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity by all means provided for in international law.

At the end of the appeal, the international community is once again urged to support Azerbaijan's anti-terrorist measures, to put pressure on Armenia to refrain from provocations against Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to act responsibly within the framework of the normalization process in the interests of long-term peace and stability in the region.