Armenia Condemns Joint Visit of Turkish and Azerbaijani Presidents to Artsakh

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement regarding the joint visit of the Presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan to the occupied territories of Artsakh. Below is the full statement:

“As an obvious provocation against regional peace and security, we strongly condemn the joint visit of the Presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan to the city of Shushi, a historical and cultural center of Armenia currently under Azerbaijani occupation, on June 15. It is significant that this visit followed the destruction of the religious and historical-cultural heritage of the forcibly displaced indigenous Armenian population, including the desecration of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, which was targeted during and after the war unleashed by Turkish-Azerbaijani forces, and the complete destruction of the monument dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Such actions by the authorities of Turkey and Azerbaijan, aimed at entrenching the consequences of the use of force against the people of Artsakh, severely undermine international efforts to establish stability in the region and are completely unacceptable. Neutralizing the genocidal threats posed by Turkey and Azerbaijan against the Armenian people necessitates the restoration of the rights of the Artsakh people, including the de-occupation of the territories of the Republic of Artsakh and ensuring the safe return of the displaced population.

These provocative actions also clearly reveal the false and misleading nature of the statements made by official Ankara and Baku regarding the normalization of relations with Armenia and the Armenian people. Once again, we emphasize that addressing the aftermath of the recent Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh must be undertaken within the framework of a comprehensive resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.”