Foreign media
Romanian news agency publishes article by Azerbaijani ambassador
AGERPRES, a national news agency of Romania, has published an article, entitled “The Azerbaijani Army protects the country’s territorial integrity on its territory”, by Azerbaijani Ambassador Huseyn Najafov.
In his article, the ambassador states that on September 27, the Armenian armed forces, in a gross violation of the ceasefire, resorted to another aggression against Azerbaijan by shelling the Azerbaijani Army’s positions and residential settlements along the entire front. As a result, casualties among Azerbaijani civilians and military servicemen were reported, and houses and civilian infrastructure were severely damaged.
He notes that in order to suppress another military provocation of Armenia and to ensure the safety of the civilian population living along the contact line, the Azerbaijani Army has launched counteroffensive operations within the framework of the right of self-defense and in full compliance with international humanitarian law. Stressing that the Armenian armed forces keep intensively shelling the Azerbaijani Army’s positions and residential settlements, the diplomat points out that Armenian troops deliberately targeted Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan with a population of over 500,000, Mingachevir, a strategically important industrial city, as well as Beylagan, Barda, Aghjabadi, Goranboy, Yevlakh and other districts with prohibited missiles. He also informs that two medium-range rockets were fired at Azerbaijan’s Khizi and Absheron districts.
Informing about Armenia’s attacks against Azerbaijan’s energy and important strategic infrastructures, Ambassador Najafov said that the enemy fired cluster bombs at the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, an international project, stressing that the Armenian government poses a threat to regional countries, as well as to the states, which are important participants of the energy sector. He adds that He said that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is of great importance in terms of economic, political, and energy security for Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, the region as a whole, Europe, and the world in general.
In his article, the ambassador also points out the violation by Armenia of the norms and principles of international law, UNSC Resolutions 822, 853, 874, and 884, which demand a complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, international humanitarian law, as well as the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
The ambassador goes on to say that in his address to the nation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Armenia’s military and political leadership is fully responsible for all provocations against Azerbaijan, noting that the Armenian prime minister’s statement that “Karabakh is Armenia, full stop” disrupted the negotiation process, and this is nothing but an attempt to change the negotiation format.
The article says President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stated that the only condition for the cessation of hostilities is the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Noting that the illegal presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding districts of Azerbaijan poses a serious threat to regional peace and stability, the ambassador urged the international community to strongly condemn Armenia’s policy of occupation and provocative actions against Azerbaijan and to force Yerevan to comply with international law.
Ambassador Najafov adds that 50 political parties in Azerbaijan adopted a joint statement to express their strong support for all political and military measures implemented by Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev in order to protect the country’s territory integrity, ensure the citizens’ safety, and suppress Armenia’s large-scale provocations.
In conclusion, the diplomat stresses that Azerbaijan’s position is based on international law and justice.