MFA: Armenia's attempts to hinder reintegration process failing

POLITICS  08 June 2023 - 19:30

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has responded to allegations voiced by Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan at a CSTO meeting in Minsk on June 8.

"Grigoryan's claims that Azerbaijan is allegedly exacerbating the situation on the border with Armenia and on the Lachin road, allegedly conducting a policy of using force and intending to carry out ethnic cleansing against Armenians living in the Karabakh region have no basis. This is another manipulation of the Armenian side," the ministry said in a statement, according to Caliber.Az.

"The fact that the Armenian side, instead of fulfilling its obligations to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, still does not leave attempts to interfere in domestic issues such as the reintegration of the Armenian population, shows that this country is not interested in peace and stability in the region.

We remind the Secretary of the Security Council that Armenia has not yet completely withdrawn its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan, contrary to its obligations under the Trilateral Statement, the presence of those forces on the territory of Azerbaijan constitutes a violation of all norms and principles of international law and poses a serious threat.

The fact that dozens of Armenians freely pass through the Lachin border crossing point in both directions during the day, following Azerbaijani legislation and relevant procedures, once again demonstrates that Armenia's attempts to hinder the reintegration process are failing.

We call on Armenia to refrain from engaging in dangerous rhetoric that harms peace and security in the region and to fulfil its commitments, instead of continuing to groundlessly accuse Azerbaijan of misleading the international community," the statement said.

Earlier, Caliber.Az posted a video showing Krabakh residents of Armenian origin passing freely through the Lachin checkpoint. 

At 12:00 p.m. on April 23, Azerbaijani State Border Service units established a border checkpoint in Azerbaijan's sovereign territory, on the border with Armenia, at the start of the Lachin-Khankandi road, as an adequate response to Armenia's unilateral establishment of a border pass at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankandi road on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22 and to prevent the illegal transfer of manpower, ammunition, landmines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia to the Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan that runs contrary to the Tripartite Statement of November 10, 2020.

Caliber.Az