TODAY.AZ / Politics

Yerevan's “recognition” of Nagorno-Karabakh can lead to Baku’s military response

12 October 2015 [11:37] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Aynur Karimova

James Warlick, the OSCE Minsk Group’s U.S. co-chair has expressed concern over recognition of the “independence” of Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh separatist region by Armenia.

He believes that Armenia's such a decision could lead to a dangerous military response from Azerbaijan.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has recently said in the country’s parliament that in case of military action, Armenia will take all the necessary steps as the “guarantor of security” of Nagorno-Karabakh, including “recognition”.

“Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have committed themselves to a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he said on October 10, commenting on the conflict’s settlement. “We hold them to their commitment and continue to work with the sides on a negotiated settlement."

He also noted that tensions in the region are high, and the OSCE Minsk Group has cautioned the sides against taking steps that would lead to another escalation.

“The co-chairs will travel to the region later this month to meet the presidents and prepare for their next summit,” Warlick added. “We expect their meeting to advance the negotiation process and contribute to the stabilization of the security situation.”

Unable to withstand Azerbaijan on the frontline, the Armenian government constantly threatens Baku to recognize the puppet separatist regime that Yerevan had established in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

If Armenia, following negotiations, doesn’t fully and unconditionally withdraw its military from the occupied territories, Azerbaijan will have to exercise its right –in line with the UN Charter’s Article 51 – to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, the Foreign Ministry announced earlier.

In such a case, all responsibility rests solely on Armenia as an occupant country.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, causing a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 were reported missing, almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were left disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on the Armenian withdrawal from Azerbaijani territories, but they have not been enforced to this day.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/144288.html

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