Thursday, July 6 2023 21:06

ArmInfo. 

The Ministry of Foreign  Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement on the  intensification of militant and aggressive rhetoric by Azerbaijan.

As the NKR MFA's press service reports, the statement of the Foreign  Office reads: "Recently, Azerbaijani state institutions and  government-controlled media have launched a massive disinformation  campaign aimed at misleading the international community and creating  a pretext for new aggression against the Republic of Artsakh and its  people. In particular, by creating and promoting false narratives  against the Artsakh Defence Army, the Azerbaijani authorities, in  fact, deny the inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to  self-defence and seek to deprive them of any means and opportunities  to ensure their own safety and security in the face of the constant  threats and military provocations of Baku against the civilian  population of Artsakh.  

Despite the fact that the Russian  peacekeeping forces have never reported a cease-fire violation from  the side of Artsakh, official Baku continues to falsely accuse the  Artsakh Defence Army of shelling their military positions and, at the  same time, intensifies aggressive and warmongering rhetoric, thereby  creating information and propaganda grounds for new aggression  against the Republic of Artsakh.  This is also evidenced by the fact  that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to consistently reject  proposals to send an international fact-finding mission to Artsakh,  including the Lachin Corridor, which would be able to assess the  situation and present to the international community an objective  picture of the developments on the ground.

 Such undisguised  military-political blackmail against Artsakh, including continued  violations of the cease-fire, the incitement and promotion of racial  hatred and discrimination, destruction of the Armenian cultural  heritage, the total transport and energy blockade and the illegal  establishment of an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor are  unacceptable and constitute flagrant violations of Azerbaijan's  obligations under the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, as  well as the ICJ order of 22 February 2023.  It is obvious that such  aggressive and destabilising actions of Azerbaijan are aimed, inter  alia, at preventing the creation of conditions conducive to  constructive dialogue between the parties based on the principles of  equality and good faith and the resumption of the peace process to  resolve the conflict.  Being encouraged by the complete impunity and  permissiveness, the Azerbaijani authorities do not take into account  any appeals or statements from the international community on the  inadmissibility of such destructive actions and the need to resolve  disputes through constructive dialogue. In this regard, we consider  it unacceptable that the international community and, in particular,  the Russian Federation, whose peacekeeping forces are stationed in  Artsakh and under whose security guarantees tens of thousands of  Artsakh citizens returned to their homeland after the 2020 war, leave  Azerbaijan's threats without due attention and response.  In this  context, we reiterate that all responsible members of the  international community and, in particular, the actors involved in  the peace process, should not ignore or even encourage with certain  statements Azerbaijan's violation of its international obligations,  including the policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of  Artsakh, which may escalate into an even larger crime against  humanity. We believe that only a proper and unequivocal political  assessment of Azerbaijan's actions, as well as specific and effective  measures by the international community aimed at putting an end to  these internationally wrongful acts, can create conditions for  ensuring the rights and security of the people of Artsak