Report presents an inteview of the Head of Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Ambassador Vagif Sadikhov to tdg.ch .
-What is the latest death toll brought to your attention?
-Since the beginning of the present phase of the aggression launched by Armenia against Azerbaijan along the line of contact around the Armenian-occupied territories of Azerbaijan on 27 September 2020, Armenia has been continuing deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of Azerbaijani civilians and civilian infrastructure in the densely populated areas located deep inside the territories of Azerbaijan using large-calibre weapons, artillery and missile systems.
As of 5 October, 24 civilians, including 3 children, 5 women and 2 elderly persons were killed and 121 civilians wounded including 30 women and 7 children as a result of intensive shelling of Azerbaijani cities and other residential places. On 4 October, Ganja, second biggest city of Azerbaijan was attacked by missiles from the territory of Armenia resulting in killing of 1 and wounding 32 civilians including one-year old baby. The same day, Armenia launched another missile attack against city of Mingachevir, hosting the largest water reservoir in the region and key electricity plant that left 5 civilians wounded. Moreover, two mid-range missiles have been launched against Khizi and Absheron regions located 300 km far from the active conflict zone and in close vicinity to Baku.
By targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure which constitutes serious war crime under the international humanitarian law, Armenia blatantly violates its obligations under the international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949. The targeted attacks on civilians are a clear demonstration of Armenia’s policy of terrorism and aggression against Azerbaijan.
The international community should to stand for the protection of human rights of Azerbaijani civilians subjected on a daily basis to indiscriminate attacks by Armenia and to urge Armenia to abide by its obligations under the international law by ceasing targeted attacks against Azerbaijani civilians.
-What is the humanitarian situation? Are you in contact with the Red Cross to facilitate the delivery of aid?
-Daily intensive shelling of Azerbaijani civilians and civilian infrastructure on the part of the Armed Forces of Armenia further deteriorates the humanitarian situation on the ground, but still under control of the competent authorities of Azerbaijan. More than 300 private properties and other civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and kindergartens have been destroyed and extensively damaged, including settlements for IDPs forcibly expelled from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as a result of the notorious policy of ethnic cleansing conducted therein by Armenia back in 1988-1992.
It is obvious that deliberate targeting of Azerbaijani civilian infrastructure seriously affects the daily life of people and violates their basic human rights. For instance, children is deprived of opportunity to attend schools due to either the destruction of educational facilities or serious damages inflicted upon them in cities and villages that remain under the attack by Armenian militaries.
Azerbaijan is in close contact with the ICRC and constantly keep it informed on the humanitarian situation on the ground as well as casualties among civilian population. On 4 October, ICRC issued a statement condemning the indiscriminate shelling of cities and other densely populated areas. We hoped this statement would send a strong signal to the Armenian side to stop targeting Azerbaijani civilian infrastructure. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan reported about the heavy shelling of Azerbaijani cities today.
-This is not the first time that the situation has flared up in Nagorno-Karabakh. Why does the crisis seem out of control this time around?
-Armenia ignores the will of the international community expressed in 4 UN Security Council resolutions of 1993 to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its Armed Forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding regions of Azerbaijan which it has been keeping under military occupation for almost three decades having committed ethnic cleansing against the Azerbaijani population in the occupied territories. Armenia continues denying the fundamental right of the Azerbaijani displaced population forcibly expelled by Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan to return to their native lands.
The concrete response to your question lies in the irresponsible behaviour and actions of the Armenian leadership we have been witnessing since Prime Minister of Armenia N. Pashinyan has come to power in Armenia. Prime Minister of Armenia spared no efforts to undermine the format and substance of negotiation process under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. His statement that “Karabakh is Armenia” was serious blow to negotiations and practically put entire conflict settlement process in stalemate. Moreover, the military actions and illegal activities that Armenia has recently intensified in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is accompanied with the statements by the Armenian officials that Armenia “will not return” or even ”is not holding negotiations to return any territory to Azerbaijan” which has now been reflected in the recently unveiled National Security Strategy of Armenia that defines the strategic goal of Armenia in the negotiation process as to “safeguard the outcomes of war”. The Armenian minister of defence, in his turn, threatened Azerbaijan with so-called “new war for new territories” statements.
Exactly in line with this aggressive rhetoric and enjoying the silence and impunity on the part of the international community, Armenia launched another act of military aggression against Azerbaijan on 27 September as it did in case of Tovuz military provocation this July. Azerbaijan was forced to launch the legitimate counter-offensive operation using its right of self-defence under the UN Charter, within its own territory and in full compliance with the international humanitarian law to repel the Armenian aggression and ensure the safety of the Azerbaijani civilians.
-The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) claims that Syrians who fought against Bashar al-Assad's regime are fighting alongside you. Could you comment that?
-It is absolutely fabricated allegations. There is not a single evidence of any foreign presence in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has a capable army to repel the Armenian aggression and restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized territories. It has sufficient human resources and we have enough people in our reserves.
The successful ongoing counter-offensive operation by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan that has already liberated the ancient Azerbaijani city of Jabrail and almost 20 villages as well as strategic heights from the Armenian occupation clearly demonstrates the capability of Azerbaijani Armed Forces to achieve goals set before it.
No doubt that Armenia is behind these allegations. By disseminating this fabricated information, Armenia attempts to compensate for the negative international public opinion created by Armenia’s recent relocation of members of terrorist organizations from the Middle East to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law. At present, the Armenian leadership widely uses extremist elements against Azerbaijan as part of its new act of aggression. It is clear that Armenia’s plan to create “voluntary militant groups” to be used for military purposes is aimed exclusively at using the “services” of terrorists who have been moved from the Middle East to Armenia.
-What could bring calm? Why are the calls for a ceasefire launched by Russia and also the West not followed?
-Presence of the Armenian troops on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the primary destabilizing factor in the conflict zone. The immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories as demanded in the UN Security Council resolutions of 1993 is the just solution to bring the lasting peace to our region.
Azerbaijan was faithfully engaged in the negotiation process under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for almost thirty years with a hope that wisdom prevail in minds of the Armenian political leadership and they would realize that there was no alternative to peaceful settlement of the Armenia - Azerbaijan conflict through the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions. Unfortunately, irresponsible statements and military provocations by Armenia’s military-political leadership fully undermined the negotiation process. We are not going to tolerate this irresponsible behaviour by Armenia for another 30 years.
Armenia must recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders and present the schedule of withdrawal of its military units from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. This is the only condition that could stop the current military clashes in the conflict zone.
-We see strange alliances forming around this conflict. Aren't you afraid that your quarrel over territory with Armenia will serve as a pretext for further clashes involving regional actors?
-We see no ground for and are strongly against this conflict to be transformed into regional one. That’s what Armenia wants to do and this is another reason why they invent fake news about some external support to Azerbaijan. At the same time, Armenia is asking for external support for themselves.
We are confident the regional countries will never allow the conflict to be transformed into regional one because security in our region is in the interests of all regional countries.
We need to do everything particularly the regional countries to stay away from the conflict and not to interfere in any sense in the conflict. Instead, they should give a direct signal to Armenia to stop its illegal occupation of Azerbaijani territories. They could also open the eyes of Armenia to the benefits and opportunities end of the Armenian occupation would bring to Armenian people in particular and to the region of South Caucasus in general.
-Can the UN and Geneva play a role in the coming days to silence the guns?
-It is the UN Security Council that adopted 4 resolutions in 1993 demanding immediate, complete and unconditional withdraw of the Armed Forces of Armenia from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding regions of Azerbaijan.
The best thing what the UN could do under the present circumstances is to urge finally Armenia to stop challenging the will of international community and respect those UN resolutions and abide by its imperative obligations under the international law.