Tuesday, May 30 2023 12:38

ArmInfo.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has issued a statement, reading: 

On 28 May 2023, in flagrant violation of the norms and principles of  international law, obligations assumed by the Trilateral Statement of  November 2020, and ignoring the presence of the Russian peacekeeping  forces, the President of Azerbaijan made a series of belligerent and  provocative statements against the Republic of Artsakh and its  democratic institutions, as well as the possibility of resumption of  hostilities by Azerbaijan against Artsakh. The fact that the  Azerbaijani president has once again resorted to open threats and  outright blackmail leaves no doubt that Azerbaijan consistently  denies the very possibility of resolving the Azerbaijan-Karabakh  conflict through negotiations.

The prolonged blockade, the creation of unbearable living conditions,  the denial of the right to life and security, systematic and massive  violations of other fundamental rights and freedoms, repression and  persecution are the tools, which Azerbaijan intends to use further  against the people of Artsakh.

The blockade, which has been going on for more than five months now,  the ongoing armed attacks and belligerent statements show that  Azerbaijan is not only unwilling to give up its policy of threats and  violence, but is increasingly strengthening it against the backdrop  of the inaction of the international community, including the  international mediators involved in the settlement process.

Statements made by the Azerbaijani authorities on alleged readiness  to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Artsakh are a  false narrative and a smoke screen behind which lies the true  intention of Baku to carry out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. By  demanding to recognise Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, the authorities  of this country are in fact trying to get a "license" to carry out  their criminal plans with impunity.

International actors must stop turning a blind eye to the real  motives and goals of Azerbaijan's agenda in relation to Artsakh, the  diplomatic and foreign policy components of which are a continuation  of the policy of blackmail, coercion and threat of force in violation  of the UN Charter, the founding documents of the OSCE and the Council  of Europe. Ignoring the true intentions and violations of the  international obligations of Azerbaijan, as well as attempts by  international mediators to seek constructiveness in Azerbaijan's  openly genocidal agenda are self-deception and are tantamount to  approving Baku's criminal actions.

We consider it absolutely unacceptable that the international  community, and first of all, the Russian Federation, whose  peacekeeping forces are stationed in Artsakh and under whose security  guarantees tens of thousands of Artsakh citizens returned to their  homes after the 2020 war, leave Azerbaijan's threats to resume  military operations against Artsakh without a proper and strong  response.

We proceed from the premise that international mediators, represented  by the OSCE Minsk Group Co- Chair countries and the European Union,  must pay more attention to the warmongering rhetoric and unlawful  actions of Azerbaijan, and must move from words to action to prevent  the realisation of Azerbaijan's criminal plans and thereby  demonstrate in practice their commitment to the fundamental norms and  principles of international law, as well as ensuring the human rights  and security of the people of Artsakh and establishing a just,  dignified and lasting peace in the region.