Aliyev Openly Threatens to Carry Out Ethnic Cleansing of Karabakh. MFA Armenia

YEREVAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement, bringing the attention of the international community to the repeated belligerent statements made by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on May 28. These statements are aimed at undermining the efforts of the Republic of Armenia and its international partners in establishing peace, stability, and security in the region.

“Contrary to the UN Charter and the written commitment to refrain from the use of force or the threat of force, as stated in the tripartite statement of Sochi on October 31, as well as numerous verbal commitments made on other platforms, and ongoing negotiations for normalizing bilateral relations, the President of Azerbaijan is once again threatening the Republic of Armenia with the use of force and the population of Nagorno-Karabakh with ethnic cleansing.

It is crucial to note that the leadership of Azerbaijan continues to violate and disregard previously agreed-upon agreements, including the provisions of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020, as well as the fundamental principles of international law. President Aliyev’s words claiming that Azerbaijan disrupted the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia by controlling the Lachin Corridor demonstrate this. Furthermore, he openly threatens to carry out ethnic cleansing if the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh do not “learn lessons” from the blocking of the Lachin Corridor.

Regrettably, these violations of agreements and commitments are not limited to this. Instead of engaging in dialogue with representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh through the international mechanism, the President of Azerbaijan threatens them with reprisals and criminal prosecution. This behavior demonstrates Azerbaijan’s lack of willingness to address existing problems and instead aims to move forward with the belief that “there are no Nagorno Karabakh Armenians, and thus, no Nagorno Karabakh problem.” Such behavior contradicts the logic of current negotiations and the approaches of the actors involved in the mediation mission for the settlement.

It is indisputable that the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity cannot be interpreted as a license to carry out ethnic cleansing against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia urges the international community, including the mediating actors, to take note of the fact that the President of Azerbaijan, with his statement, is preparing the groundwork for another aggressive action against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, depriving them of their right to live freely, safely, and with dignity in their homeland.

It is worth mentioning that the President of Azerbaijan not only makes genocidal threats against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh but also questions the independence and territorial integrity of Armenia. In fact, the President challenges the entire civilized society by threatening to occupy new sovereign territories of Armenia by force. Furthermore, it is emphasized that even the presence of the EU observation mission along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot deter Azerbaijan from its territorial claims against Armenia.

Armenia remains steadfast in its pursuit of establishing peace in the region. Unfortunately, the aggressive rhetoric and actions of the Azerbaijani leadership indicate that they do not see the resolution of the problems through the recognition of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, with borders defined by the Alma-Ata Declaration, and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. Instead, they resort to threats and military force.

To prevent further escalations, all stakeholders interested in peace and stability in the South Caucasus are obligated to provide clear and unambiguous assessments.” Read the Foreign Ministry satatement