Azerbaijan’s Mission to OSCE: Armenia’s provocation disrupting normalization of relations

The provocation committed by the Armenian side on March 5 disrupts the fragile process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, reads a letter of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the OSCE, sent to the participants of the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Report informs.

“The most recent armed provocation committed by Armenia in the territory of Azerbaijan on March 5, 2023, and following attempts to further escalate the situation by opening fire from high caliber weapons along the border between the two countries and in Garabagh Economic region of Azerbaijan is another fresh example of this policy,” reads the statement.

“Yet, this latest provocation is another evidence that Armenia refuses to fully withdraw its armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, as stipulated in the November 10 trilateral statement. It continues its military activities within Azerbaijan, that includes illegal military build-up, rotation of forces, transfer of weapons and personnel to the territory of Azerbaijan.”

In this regard, Azerbaijan called on the OSCE countries to send a direct and unambiguous signal to Armenia about the need to stop its illegal military activities and smuggling of natural resources on the Khankandi-Lachin road.

As a result of a provocation committed by illegal Armenian formations on the morning of March 5, servicemen of the Azerbaijani army Shahriyar Alibayli and Eshgin Huseynov became martyrs.