Azerbaijan condemns Armenian military drills in occupied territory

(Baku Daily) - Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry issued the following statement on its website:

On 6 November 2014, the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia started provocative large-scale military exercises in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the involvement of about 47.000 military troops and over 3000 combat equipment and armament of the armed forces of Armenia, as it was announced by Armenian official media.  

The air forces of the Republic of Armenia were also engaged in provocative and threatening combat flights over the defense positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan. 

On November 12, two Mi-24 attack helicopters of the air forces of the Republic of Armenia approached and made attack maneuvers in the immediate vicinity of the positions of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan near the village of Kengerli in the occupied Agdam district of the Republic of Azerbaijan and one of the helicopter was shot down.  

 The downed helicopter belongs to air base No. 15 stationed in Erebuni military base near Yerevan, the Republic of Armenia, and its crew members were military servicemen of the Armenian armed forces. These are yet another manifestation of Armenia's aggression, its direct involvement in the occupation of the territories and continued use of force against the Republic of Azerbaijan.

 In its resolution 853 (1993), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan specifically "condemns the seizure of the district of Agdam and of all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic" and "demands immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces involved from the district of Agdam and all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic".

Demands of the UNSC remain unimplemented by the Republic of Armenia, which not only refuses to withdraw from the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan but continues to strengthen its military presence and capability in those territories and conduct large-scale military actions in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UNSC resolutions and the ceasefire regime. 

The use of heavy weaponry, continuous flights over the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and attacks on the position of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan are confirmed by the official web-site of the President of Armenia, as well as by news, photo and video materials provided by Armenian mass media.   

These provocative military exercises were launched just after the meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan organized by the OSCE Minsk Group C0-chair countries in Sochi on August 10, at the initiative of Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin, in the Wales on September 4, at the initiative of the US State Secretary Mr. John Kerry and in Paris on October 27, at the initiative of French President Mr. François Hollande. At all three meetings there were some positive indications that the progress at the ongoing peace negotiations could be achieved.

Armenian military exercises in  Azerbaijan’s lands absolutely do not correspond to the spirit of these talks and to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group C0-chair countries’ leaders, as well as undermine confidence building to reach political solution for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of   Azerbaijan.