Statement from NIPA to IDU
Dear Friends, After the Republic of Azerbaijan became a member in the United Nations in March, 1992 as an independent state, in 1992-1994 Armenia, another member of the UN, occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts, internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan by a military way with a direct participation of external mercenary terrorist groups and the third power. In connection with it the United Nations adopted the four resolutions in 1993 (№822-30.04.1993; №853-29.07.1993; №874-14.10.1993; №884-12.11.1993). These resolutions recognize Armenia as an aggressor and demand unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. On May 20, 2010 the Parliament of Europe accordingly adopted “The need for an EU strategy for the South Caucasus”, as well as several resolutions were adopted by the Council of Europe.
For your consideration I’d like to note that the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is 4388 square km whereas the territory of the seven occupied surrounding districts which aren’t a conflict unit is twice more than that, it’s 8875 square km. About a million of Azerbaijani citizens was forcibly displaced and left these occupied territories and have been living as IDPs for about 30 years.
Since 1992 the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by the USA, France and Russia has been tasked with resolving the conflict. Unfortunately, as a result of destructive position of Armenia the OSCE Minsk Group hasn’t achieved any progress over the past 20 years, in fact, the Group has served to preserve the problem.
In 1994 the ceasefire was signed between the sides. Despite of this, as no relevant measures have been taken in the post-ceasefire period Armenia created big dreams and intended to occupy new other territories, so, the ceasefire regime has repeatedly been violated by the Armenian armed forces in the frontline. Consequently, hundreds of civilians including children were killed in the areas near the frontline of Azerbaijan, civilian facilities and infrastructure were severely damaged during the past period.
It’s eventually the consequence of OSCE Minsk Group’s inactivity and non-fulfilment of the known resolutions of the UN, EU and CE by Armenia that the conflict has escalated since September 27. Since early morning on September 27 violating the ceasefire next time the Armenian armed forces launched a wide-scaled attack in the directions of Aghdam, Fizuli, Tartar and Goranboy regions of Azerbaijan, the regions which aren’t included into the administrative unit of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Azerbaijani armed forces responded to them with the counter attack. In particular I’d like to note that the military operations are carried out not in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but in the territories of Azerbaijan which is between of the two countries and it isn’t any conflict unit.
A number of settlements which had been under the occupation for 28 years were recently liberated by the Azerbaijani Army, as well as several strategical positions were taken back. Unfortuntely no military operations are held without loss and regarding the loss we continually receive news from the frontline every day. Both the sides have the dead and injured.
On October 10 the humanitarian ceasefire was signed between the sides. However, the terms of the agreement were violated by Armenia. A day after the ceasefire agreement, civilians and residential buildings in Ganja, the biggest second city in Azerbaijan according the number of population, which is hundreds of kilometers far away from the military operations zone, were targeted and came under long range missile attack from Armenia. As a result of this terrorist attack 10 civilians have been killed, 35 persons including children and women have been injured. On October 17 at night Armenia re-targeted civilians and Ganja city again came under ballistic missiles attack. As a result of this terroristic attack 15 persons have died including children and women, 60 persons have been injured. The case for targeting villages, big cities lying far away from the frontline zone, as well as the civilians and civil facilities have become more frequent by the Armenian armed forces. Thus, on October 27 Armenian armed forces shelled Barda city’s Garayusifly village by using missiles and as a result of this attack 5 civilians were killed including 7-year-old girl and 7 people were seriously wounded including little children and women. On October 28 the Armenian terrorist groups committed one more bloody terroristic attack. At midday the areas where residents are compactly inhabited and trade facilities located in Barda city of Azerbaijan, lying far away from the military operations zone, were shelled with cluster munitions, banned by the international law. As a result of the barbaric attack 20 civilians were killed including women and children, more than 71 people were wounded. Moreover, civil, trade and infrastructure facilities, as well as private properties and vehicles were badly damaged.
Since September 27 in total 90 civilians have been killed including children and women, 392 persons have been wounded, more than 2406 houses, 423 civilian facilities and 92 residential buildings have been destroyed.
The conflict has re-entered the active phase today, the only reason for a number of losses is Armenia’s non-fulfilment of UN Security Council, the supreme organzation’s resolutions and failure of the Minsk Group co-chairs, who have been mediating the negotiations for more than 28 years, to put pressure on Armenia to implement the resolutions.
Azerbaijan is fully interested in resolving the conflict peacefully, in order to achieve this it’s important for Armenia to unilaterally withdraw its occupying forces from the territory of Azerbaijan in accordance with the four UN Security Council resolutions.
Dear friends, by addressing you I’d kindly ask you on behalf of your organization to call and put pressure on Armenia to fulfill the UN Security Council resolutions in order to end the Naforno Karabakh Conflict and prevent human losses. I hope by participating in this process, you will also contribute to the establishment of peace in the region.
With warmest regards,
Arzukhan Alizada
Chairman of the National Independence Party of Azerbaijan
