Ilham Aliyev Threatens to Occupy New Sovereign Territories of Armenia by Force: Armenian Foreign Ministry

The Armenian Foreign Ministry draws the attention of the international community to the latest militant statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on May 28, which are aimed at undermining the efforts of the Republic of Armenia and its international partners to establish peace, stability, and security in the region.

“Despite the UN Charter, the written commitment to refrain from the use of force or threats of force undertaken in the trilateral statement in Sochi on October 31, 2022, and similar verbal commitments made in various forums, as well as ongoing negotiations on the regulation of bilateral relations, the President of Azerbaijan again threatens the Republic of Armenia with the use of force and the population of Nagorno-Karabakh with ethnic cleansing,” the statement reads.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan's leadership continues to violate and ignore previously reached agreements, including the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, as well as the fundamental principles of international law. The latest indication of this is President Aliyev's words stating that by controlling the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan has disrupted the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

Moreover, in the same context, he openly threatens to carry out ethnic cleansing if the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh do not “draw lessons” from the blockade of the Lachin corridor.

Unfortunately, violations of agreements and commitments do not stop there. Instead of starting a dialogue with representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh within the framework of an international mechanism, the President of Azerbaijan threatens them with retribution and criminal prosecution. At the same time, it is being demonstrated that Azerbaijan does not wish to address existing issues but intends to proceed with the principle that “if there are no Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, there is no Nagorno-Karabakh problem.” This approach also contradicts the logic of ongoing negotiations, including the approaches of mediators regarding the resolution.

It is undoubted that the recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity cannot be interpreted as a justification for carrying out ethnic cleansing against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia calls the attention of the international community, including the actors engaged in mediation, to the fact that the President of Azerbaijan is preparing the ground for yet another aggressive action against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and depriving them of their right to live freely, safely, and with dignity in their homeland.

Notably, the President of Azerbaijan not only makes genocidal threats against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh but also calls into question the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. Essentially, the President of Azerbaijan challenges the entire civilized community by threatening to occupy new sovereign territories of the Republic of Armenia by force.

Moreover, it is emphasized that even the presence of the EU observer mission along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot stop Azerbaijan's aspirations to satisfy territorial claims against Armenia.

Armenia is steadfast on its chosen path to establish peace in the region. Unfortunately, as evident from the aggressive rhetoric and actions of Azerbaijan’s leadership, that state sees the resolution of problems not through the recognition of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia as outlined in the Alma-Ata Declaration and addressing the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, but rather through threats and the use of military force. To prevent such developments, all partners interested in the peace and stability of the South Caucasus must express unequivocal and clear assessments,” the statement concludes.