Response of the Artsakh Foreign Ministry to Azerbaijan's Statements

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry has issued a comment regarding the statements made by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The comment states:

“In response to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s commentary, which attempts to misrepresent the words of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, by cutting them out of the general context, we find it necessary to note the following:

The President of the Republic of Artsakh has unequivocally stated that threats of shelling Stepanakert and other localities of Artsakh, which the Azerbaijani side regularly issues, including at the highest levels, are unacceptable. The military-political leadership of Azerbaijan has repeatedly declared its readiness to strike at any target in Artsakh. In particular, the Azerbaijani Minister of Defense had previously instructed missile and artillery forces to ‘prepare to deliver destructive strikes’ against Stepanakert and other cities in Artsakh.

It is noteworthy that the official representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry justified such threats by stating that there is ‘no civilian population in Artsakh, only military personnel and fields.’ In an attempt to conceal its aggressive policy based on intimidation and terror, Azerbaijan is attempting to distort facts and deliberately misinform the international community, aiming to attribute its own actions and motivations to the Armenian side. It is Baku, not Yerevan or Stepanakert, that regularly issues threats of destruction against the strategic infrastructure and residential areas of Armenia and Artsakh.

With official statements about potential missile strikes on the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, Yerevan, and Stepanakert, as well as downing civilian aircraft en route to Artsakh, and through numerous military and crimes against humanity, Azerbaijan demonstrates that it does not hesitate to employ terrorist methods as a state policy.

The Republic of Artsakh is fully prepared to decisively prevent any attempt by the Azerbaijani armed forces to attack the civilian population. The military airfield in Gandzak city and any other military facilities that the Azerbaijani side may attempt to use for attacking the localities of Artsakh will become legitimate targets for the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh.

The statement from the President of the Republic of Artsakh serves as a warning regarding the futility of attempts to gain political dividends through the means of threats and terrorism. The Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict does not have a military solution. Attempts to provoke another war will have tragic consequences for the entire region.”