TODAY.AZ / Politics

Armenian leadership, main culprit behind death of helicopter crew

17 November 2014 [15:50] - TODAY.AZ

/AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijan’s top official blamed Armenian leadership for the death of those killed in the crash of an Armenian military helicopter.

Deputy Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Chief of the Administration’s Foreign Relations Department, Novruz Mammadov said at a briefing on November 15 that those who were killed in the Armenian military helicopter crash have fallen victim to the aggressive adventurist policy of the Armenian leadership.

Three crew members on the board of MI-24 helicopter, which was shot down while attempting to violate the Azerbaijani airspace, were revealed to be Armenian servicemen illegally serving under the so-called "NKR army."

Armenian government made all efforts to deny this fact that the dead crew belonged to its army, but a quick research about the identity of the deceased soldiers revealed that they were Armenian servicemen.

Mammadov said the Armenian leadership must understand that it should not lead its people to such tragedy situation, meanwhile noting that very large and complex processes are going on.

“Firstly, some works have been going on to resolve Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict over last several months. After a long-lasting break, the international community, in particular the co-chairing countries and their heads have decided to pay more attention to the settlement of this conflict, and certain steps have been taken in this direction," Mammadov said.

He said that Azerbaijan's president sat for talks in Sochi with the Armenian president in a meeting attended by the president of Russia, adding that this was a step taken in connection with the settlement of the conflict.

“Then, a similar meeting was held attended by the U.S. secretary of state, and negotiations were held between the heads of the two countries,” Mammadov said.

A while ago a similar initiative was made by the president of France, and a meeting was held in Paris, and the meeting reviewed the processes related to the conflict’s settlement.

Mammadov regretted that despite all these efforts, the Armenian side tries by all means to preserve the status quo, making various arguments, and using lies and slander in the process.

These actions by Armenia are nothing new, as the country has used them many times before, he said.

Mammadov went on to say that Armenia’s president, agreed with the Russian president during a roundtable meeting in Kazan that a small text be drafted in connection to the talks. He added that the text had to indicate that the talks were tense, and that the talks will continue despite the fact that no results have been achieved so far.

“An official statement was issued. But half an hour later, the Armenian side made a statement that Azerbaijan is not interested in resolving the conflict. The goal is to show the world that Azerbaijan allegedly takes an unconstructive stance. There have been many cases similar to this," he said.

Mammadov reminded that prior to the last Sochi meeting, military operations were held in the frontal zone, and Azerbaijan reacted to them.

“Finally, a meeting was held in France,” he said, adding that however, there was no significant progress, but extensive talks were held.

“After this, the Armenian leadership made a statement that it was satisfied with the meeting. And yet in five-ten days, Armenian leadership again tried to blame Azerbaijan for violating the negotiation process,” Mammadov said.

“Afterwards they made a decision regarding the drills. Based on which right, does Armenia have to hold drills in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan? Based on which right does the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh regime” has to do this? They wanted to provoke Azerbaijan, and blame it for everything.”

Mammadov stressed that they have lost the sense of reality so much that they carry out attack flights in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh, Aghdam region, over the line of contact of troops.

He went on to add that these flights were carried out more than once on several times.

“Naturally, after these actions, that helicopter had to be destroyed. Their actions were a gross violation of international law,” the top official said, adding that violating the international law means that Armenians are seeking to find a culprit for their crimes.

They got a harsh response, and we let them know that Azerbaijan is ready to give any response to all their steps, he said.

Mammadov also added that a number of countries and institutions have begun to spread false information about the incident and presented it in a different form.

Mammadov said the Euronews TV channel, which broadcasts in various languages, disseminated this information normally in several languages, and in a modified form in some others.

“What was the main purpose? Why some countries, which position themselves as the guardians of international law, don’t express their position in this regard? The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have to represent international law in the processes associated with the conflict. Let them show it and say whether Armenia had the right to hold drills in Azerbaijan’s territory? Or they believe that Armenia’s military exercises ensure security, stability and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?” Mammadov stressed, saying that this is unfair.

He said naturally he is waiting for the expression of position in this regard from friendly countries as well.

“I don’t know what to call it - prejudice, injustice or violation of international law. All the developments taking place today are not simple developments. The world has never been so unsafe; there have not been so many conflicts, like today. All this didn’t unfold by itself,” Mammadov said.

He said the world’s leading nations disrespect, ignore, grossly violate international law and create conditions for such developments, adding that small states don’t have the courage to violate the international law.

Baku blamed the Armenian authorities for their aggressive policy, calling the helicopter incident the next proof of Armenia's unconstructive stance on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which emerged in 1998 over Armenia’s territorial claims against neighbor Azerbaijan.

Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/137537.html

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