"Biased approach towards Azerbaijan into level of threatening statement detrimental to peace" Azerbaijani MFA responds to Borrell

The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan responded on September 21 to the remarks by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell.

According to the ministry, the statement by Borrell issued on September 21 on the latest developments in the region deliberately distorts all the realities on the ground and is totally inadequate.

The ministry's responsive statement reads as follows:

"Besides this organization has always refrained from condemning almost 30 years of military occupation of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territories, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity against Azerbaijanis, and has never commended Azerbaijan’s actions to bring peace and stability in the region following the 2020 war, taking such a biased approach towards Azerbaijan into the level of a threatening statement is detrimental to peace in our region.  

We once again remind that Azerbaijan’s legitimate measures to eliminate illegal Armenian military forces stationed in its sovereign territories were aimed at preventing further provocations and attacks and that its allegations about Azerbaijan’s counter-terrorism measures were against the Armenian population were even denied by the Prime Minister of Armenia in its address to the population on September 21.

Open disregard by the EU of constructive discussions between central Azerbaijan’s authorities and representatives of the Armenian residents held today in Yevlakh that focused on the reintegration of the Armenian residents, restoration of infrastructure and organization of activities on the basis of the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan once again attests to narrow political purposes of certain circles within the EU.

With regard to allegations on the humanitarian situation, and ensuring the rights and security of local Armenian residents, we bring to the attention that as a result of today’s discussion Azerbaijan with the support of its international partners, will provide necessary help to local Armenians to build better social and humanitarian life, and any interference into Azerbaijan’s actions in this regard would be counterproductive and useless.

Azerbaijan is committed to peace and stability with Armenia and hopes that Azerbaijan’s measures of elimination of the puppet regime and remnants of illegal Armenian military detachments will have a positive impact towards concluding a peace agreement with Armenia."

Borell allegedly accused Azerbaijan of re-escalating tensions in the Garabagh region, calling for respect for the rights of the region's Armenian population. He also threatened sanctions against Baku should the latter resort to, what Borrell alleges as "forcible displacement using military or other means."

In the meantime, Borrell forgot to mention the recent meeting between the Azerbaijani government and the representatives of Garabagh's Armenian minority, the deadly Armenian mine terror that took the lives of six Azerbaijanis, the continuous provocations and sabotage operations against the Azerbaijani positions, the ten-thousand strong Armenian military deployed in Garabagh, the one million Azerbaijanis forcible displaced by Armenia from their houses and multiple other crimes committed by Armenia.