Azerbaijani energy minister appeals to int'l energy organizations due to military attacks of Armenia

By Trend

Azerbaijan Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has officially appealed to international energy organizations due to Armenia's ongoing military provocations targeting Azerbaijan's civilian population and strategically important energy infrastructure, the ministry told Trend.

The appeal was addressed to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the International Energy Charter, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the World Petroleum Council (WPC), the World Energy Council (WEC) and the International Gas Union (IGU).

The appeal says that Armenia ignores norms and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, in particular the requirements of the 1949 Geneva Convention and its Additional Protocols.

In particular, missile firing at the Mingachevir thermal power plant, the largest power plant in the region, on Oct. 4 and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline on Oct. 6, as well as, the dangerous situation around the South Caucasus Pipeline and the Western Export Pipeline were highlighted as a terrorist attempt against regional and international energy security and the interests of the countries represented in these projects.

"Four UN Security Council resolutions call for an end to the occupation and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories", the appeal reads.

The appeal called on the international community and partner countries to react harshly to Armenia's policy of aggression, as well as, targeting international projects of strategic importance, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline.

Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.

Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.

The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.