Any actions against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be resolutely prevented, the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The statement came after the large-scale provocations committed by Armenian armed forces in the directions of Dashkasan, Kalbajar and Lachin of Azerbaijan-Armenia state border at late night.
“According to the information provided by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the sabotage groups of the armed forces of Armenia using the mountainous relief of the area and existing valley gaps carried out planting landmines on the areas between the positions of the units of Azerbaijan’s army and the supply roads in different directions. In addition, the Armenian armed forces fired intensively at the positions of the Azerbaijani Army in Dashkasan, Kalbajar and Lachin regions with different types of weapons, including mortars. As a result, there are casualties among the personnel of our armed forces, damage was inflicted to the military infrastructure,” said the statement.
“In order to prevent further provocations by the armed forces of Armenia and military threats against the territory and sovereignty of our country, to ensure the safety of our military personnel, including civilian workers involved in infrastructure activities in the territory of Kalbajar and Lachin regions, the expansion of the scale of the military hostilities was averted, and in order to silence the firing points of the armed forces of Armenia definitive retaliatory measures were taken by the units of the Azerbaijani Army deployed in this direction. Moreover, the information disseminated by the Armenian side that Azerbaijan’s Army allegedly targets the civilian population, facilities, and infrastructure does not reflect reality, and is another disinformation spread by the Armenian side,” the statement noted.
“In general, during the last month, the provocations of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Lachin, Gadabay, Dashkasan and Kalbajar regions of the state border, and cases of the firing of the positions of the Azerbaijani Army in those regions with various types of weapons, were intensive and systematic. At the same time, Armenia’s increase in militarization along Azerbaijan’s borders, deployment of heavy equipment and large-caliber weapons in the region indicated that Armenia was preparing for a large-scale military provocation.”
The ministry said that at the same time, delaying the normalization process by Armenia with various pretexts, showing a destructive position in the negotiations conducted with international efforts, not withdrawing the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan contrary to the obligations within the framework of trilateral statements and agreements, continuing planting landmines, including recently produced in Armenia in the territory of Lachin, putting forward new conditions and disrupting the process of opening of communications and transport routes, as well as not responding to the peace agenda demonstrated that Armenia is not interested in the peace process and aims to undermine them.
The following aggression of the Armenian side against Azerbaijan is a gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, as well as the provisions of the trilateral statements signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation, and the agreements reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the ministry stressed.
“These steps of Armenia are completely contrary to the ongoing normalization and peace process. At the time, when the Azerbaijan is carrying out large-scale restoration and construction works in these territories liberated from occupation, Armenia by allowing aggression once again demonstrates that it is hindering this process by all means.”
