Only the determination of Artsakh's status can serve as a basis for lasting peace and stability in the region. MFA

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has issued a statement on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan's military aggression against Artsakh in April 2016. According to the MFA, "Five years ago, on the night of April 1 to 2, 2016, the Azerbaijani authorities grossly violating the commitment to observe the ceasefire, unleashed a large-scale military attack against Artsakh, attempting to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the use of force.

During the offensive operations, the Azerbaijani armed forces deliberately targeted civilian settlements and infrastructure. The four-day war against Artsakh was accompanied by brutal killings, torture of Artsakh servicemen and civilians, as well as the desecration of the bodies of the deceased. The perpetrators of these crimes driven by national hatred were later rewarded by the Azerbaijani authorities at the highest level.

In the years following the April war, encouraged by the impunity of committed war crimes and human rights violations, the Azerbaijani authorities intensified their militaristic rhetoric and the propaganda of hatred towards Armenians. The result of this policy was the unleashing of a new military aggression against Artsakh in 2020, involving Turkish and foreign mercenaries under Turkish sponsorship, leading to numerous irreversible human and material losses.

A significant part of the territory of Artsakh passed under Azerbaijan's military occupation, and tens of thousands of citizens became refugees. The large-scale wars unleashed against Artsakh in April 2016 and September 2020, along with the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, demonstrated that Artsakh cannot be under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction in any status.

Only addressing the consequences of Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh and determining Artsakh's status can serve as a basis for lasting peace and stability in the region. Armenia and the Armenian people will exert every possible effort to fully restore the rights of our compatriots in Artsakh for free and dignified living in their historical homeland.