Azerbaijan repeatedly records Iranian trucks’ illegal entry into Karabakh - Ilham Aliyev

"This is not the first case when Iranian trucks illegally enter the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Similar cases were repeatedly recorded during the occupation," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said this in an interview with Anatolian news agency, Report informs.

Trucks with the Iranian number plates entered there regularly. We knew about it. But, of course, there was no such specific information as now. We have expressed our dissatisfaction with the Iranian side through various channels. However, this process continued. After the end of the war, the Lachin corridor is now in our field of vision. The distance from our military positions to the road leading to Khankandi is 5-6 meters. We have sufficient technical capabilities along the Lachin corridor, as well as around Shusha and other regions. There are cameras. We use satellite, UAV. We saw that after the war, trucks continue to go there," the president said.

He noted that he instructed the staff of the Presidential Administration to speak with the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan: “We do not want to bring this to the official level. Let them speak in a friendly manner and tell them that this needs to be ended. This is disrespect for us. This is disrespect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and must be stopped."

According to him, at the beginning of each month, data is recorded on how many Iranian trucks have left, how many have entered, what they have brought, what they have taken out. "We have all information, right down to their license plates. This information appeared in the press. But what did they do then? They tried to install Armenian license plates on Iranian trucks. They resorted to such a fraud. They tried to deceive us. They did such an incompetent job that there were inscriptions in Persian on a cistern, and an Armenian license plate below. I want to note that several vehicles even had the same license plates. They did it so casually. And this shows that they want to continue their activities, but under cover. In this case, a month later, we officially issued a diplomatic note, the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. We hoped that this would be ended. But in the period from August 11 to September 11, about 60 Iranian trucks went illegally to Karabakh."

"We act and take responsible steps based on friendly relations. The first time we issue a verbal warning, the second is an official note, the third are checkpoints, customs, border, police. Thus, we began to control the road passing through the territory of Azerbaijan, and then the number of trucks heading to Karabakh dropped to zero. You see, was it necessary to bring it to that point? There are 25,000 people living in the Karabakh region in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces there. Is this market so important? Is this trade so important that you are showing open disrespect for a country that you consider friendly and fraternal?” President Ilham Aliyev questioned.