Azerbaijani Ambassador briefs Qatar's media on Nagorno Karabakh conflict

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Qatar Rashad Ismayilov told Qatari media about the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula.

With regard to the ongoing military clashes with Armenia, and reason behind escalation rising again, the Ambassador started his answer with what he called ‘general facts’ available in open sources but the media in Qatar are not aware of or not having detailed background information about the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and accordingly this necessitated a brief historical background about the region.

Regarding the military clashes that broke out recently and are still continuing in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Ambassador accused Armenia of "moving towards what happened recently for several months" citing a statement of Armenian Defence Minister David Tonoyan "new war for new territories", adding that “Armenia’s armed attack on Azerbaijani settlements along the state border in Tovuz region in July once more proved Armenia’s aggression policy and intention to create new sources of tension.”

According to Ambassador Ismayilov, Armenia launched attack on September 27, 2020 against Azerbaijan, intensively targeting the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan and thus blatantly violated the ceasefire.

As a result, there have been casualties among the civilians and military servicemen of Azerbaijan, Ismayilov said, adding that extensive damage has been inflicted on many houses and infrastructure.

"In order to repel another military aggression by Armenia and ensure the security of civilians and densely populated residential areas deep inside the internationally recognised territories of Azerbaijan the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan undertook counter-offensive measures within the right of self-defence and in full compliance with the international humanitarian law," the diplomat said noting that Azerbaijan is fighting in its own territory to restore its territorial integrity and liberate territories that have been occupied by Armenia.  

"They are deliberately targeting the civilian population and infrastructure which is blatant violation of the norms and principles of international law, in particular international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions of 1949," Ambassador Rashad said/

"According to the Mandate of OSCE Minsk Group, Co-Chairmen are guided in their activities by the principles and norms of the OSCE, the United Nations Charter, and as applicable resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” he underlined, saying, “It means the mission of the Minsk Group is to facilitate and find solution for the conflict based on the four UNSC resolutions which I mentioned above," Rashad Ismailov added.

"Therefore, the co-chairmen should insist and demand Armenia to unconditionally implement resolutions of the UN Security Council. Mediation can only work if Armenia complies with the international law and starts immediate withdrawal from the territories according to a timetable. Armenia bears full responsibility for the recent escalation and Azerbaijan retains its right to take adequate measures against legitimate military targets to defend civilians and enforce Armenia to peace," he stressed.

In light of the growing fears of widening the scale of war between the two countries - Azerbaijan and Armenia - who are still refusing to stop the war, and each insisting on adhering to his positions, the diplomat believes that his country "has always shown constructiveness on the negotiation track, in particular, in the past two years."

"We have repeatedly stated that we are committed to the resolution principles developed over the years … but it is obvious that Armenia is not interested in resolving the conflict through negotiations," the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Qatar concluded.