Formiche newspaper, a leading Italian media outlet, published an article by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Rome Mammad Ahmadzada regarding Armenia’s recent military provocations against Azerbaijan.

The diplomat states that the provocations committed by Armenia in recent months allow predicting what is happening today. It is noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has flared up, and the Armenian armed forces keep deliberately targeting the civilian population and infrastructure in Azerbaijan. The diplomat adds that it is necessary to look at the history of the events that led to the current situation.

“Nagorno-Karabakh is the mountainous part of Karabakh, which is the historical territory of Azerbaijan. The word Karabakh is a combination of two Azerbaijani words: black and garden. From ancient times until the occupation by the Tsarist Empire (1805, Kurakchay Treaty), this region was a part of several Azerbaijani states, and most recently, the Karabakh Khanate. Following the signing of the Treaty of Turkmenchai at the end of the Russo-Iranian War in 1828, the massive resettlement of Armenians to the South Caucasus, especially to the territories of Azerbaijan's Irevan (Yerevan, the current capital of Armenia) and Karabakh khanates, began. The resettlement continued until the beginning of the 20th century. As a result, the state of Armenia was created in the territories of Azerbaijan, and its territory expanded at the expense of the lands of Azerbaijan during the Soviet period,” he says.

“In 1923, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was established, and the administrative borders of this oblast were defined in such a way that Armenians would form a majority there. Armenia did everything possible to get rid of the local Azerbaijani community by creating an atmosphere of intolerance against the Azerbaijani minority in this country and not recognizing the right to autonomy. In 1988, Armenia made new territorial claims against Azerbaijan, this time regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, and forcibly expelled all the last Azerbaijanis (more than 250,000) in Armenia from their native land,” the ambassador adds.

He notes that the root of the conflict lies in the settlement of Armenians in the territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the creation of an autonomous province in the mountainous part of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. “After the collapse of the USSR, Armenia began military aggression against Azerbaijan, occupied 20 percent of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent regions, and carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis (more than 750 thousand) in these territories. Armenia committed war crimes and the Khojaly genocide.”

Ahmadzada continues: “Today, there are more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, and there is not a single Azerbaijani left in the occupied territories. In order to cover up its aggression against Azerbaijan, Armenia has created a so-called regime in our occupied territories called the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic", which is not recognized by any country, including Armenia itself. Armenia still ignores the UN Security Council’s four resolutions which recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the country’s internationally recognized borders and demand an immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories. There are also numerous international documents recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh as an Azerbaijani land.” 

The diplomat stresses that despite all this, for almost 30 years, Azerbaijan has been trying to achieve a positive outcome of the negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group and ensure peace in the region through diplomatic means, but Armenia keeps preventing any progress in the conflict settlement process and maintaining the status quo.

In his article, Ahmadzada also provides information about the provocative steps taken by the Pashinyan regime in Armenia.

“Azerbaijan has repeatedly warned the international community that Armenia is preparing for a new act of aggression and war. Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that Armenia’s continuous military attacks and the presence of Armenian armed forces in the occupied Azerbaijani territories pose a major threat to peace and stability in the region. Against the background of the general discussions of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly and the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the military and political leadership of Armenia resorted to another military provocation. With these actions, the Armenian leadership has once again shown disrespect for international law, the UN Charter and the international community,” he says.

The diplomat also urges international condemnation of Armenia’s continuous shelling of Azerbaijan’s residential areas and civilian facilities. He notes that Armenia’s attacks resulted in the death of a whole family of five people, including two children, in Gashalti village of Azerbaijan’s Naftalan district.

Ahmadzada once again emphasizes that Azerbaijan’s just position is based on international law. He notes that

“The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are currently carrying out counter-offensives and retaliatory measures in full accordance with the right of self-defense and international humanitarian law in order to prevent the military aggression of Armenia and to ensure the safety of the civilian population living near the contact line. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are fighting on our lands to protect and defend the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Armenia is an occupying country and this occupation must be stopped. There is only one way to resolve a conflict. The occupying forces of Armenia must be withdrawn from the territories of Azerbaijan. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored. There is no other solution,” the ambassador concludes.