Azerbaijani MFA blames UNPF for "surprising, regrettable" statement

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has said that the statement made by the United Nations Population Fund regarding the situation around the Lachin road on January 24 and demonstrating a bias that does not reflect the real situation and goes beyond the UN’s mandate, is surprising and regrettable.

“This is a statement from the UN Foundation, which ignored the fact that as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani families were expelled from their homes, lived in tent cities and train cars for 30 years, were deprived of rights to education, health care and other rights is unacceptable. Peaceful protests on the Lachin road, the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, with a demand to stop the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of Azerbaijan, their transportation to Armenia and the abuse of the Lachin road, intended exclusively for humanitarian purposes, are the legitimate right of the Azerbaijani people," the ministry said, per Caliber.Az.

"Illegal activities in the territories of Azerbaijan, where Armenians live compactly, pose a threat to the national security of the country. In accordance with the tripartite statement dated November 10, 2020, the Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of the movement of citizens, vehicles and goods along the Lachin corridor in both directions. The guarantee of security also includes the suppression of the facts of abuse of the Lachin road. As the Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated, the protesters do not in any way impede the movement of vehicles and the movement of residents along the Lachin road, and the allegations that the protests allegedly caused a “humanitarian catastrophe” in the region are unfounded."

"Since the protest began, more than 1,000 vehicles carrying essential goods and medical supplies have passed along the road. The Azerbaijani government has also repeatedly stated its readiness to promptly resolve all humanitarian needs that Armenian residents may face. Despite all this, individuals posing as “representatives” of Armenian residents continue to use the local population as a shield to continue their illegal activities and hinder freedom of movement. We call on the United Nations Population Fund to be impartial and refrain from actions and statements that could damage the reputation of the organization,” the ministry concluded.