FM: Armenia resorts to provocation to escalate tension amidst pandemic

By Azernews

By Akbar Mammadov

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has said that Armenia resorts to provocation and diversion attempts to escalate tension on the border at a time when the world is mobilized to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

Bayramov made the remarks while commenting on the recent cross-border clashes, during his speech at the webinar on “Leveraging the Effects of the Pandemic Towards Regional Cooperation in Asia” 28 July.

The minister emphasized that such military recklessness on the part of Armenia is aimed at disrupting the peace talks and continuing the occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan.

He added that by this way, the Armenian leadership seeks to divert attention from the country's domestic problems, deteriorated further by the widespread of COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia and caused by its incompetent activities, by escalating the situation.

Bayramov reminded that on July 12, Armenian armed forces grossly violated the ceasefire and used artillery to fire at the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces located in the Tovuz district along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. As a result of these attacks, 12 servicemen and one civilian, including a major general of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, were killed.

He highlighted that the international response toward the provocation has been overwhelming.

“Leading international organizations such as the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States and Organization of Islamic Cooperation released statements while the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, with the support of its 120 Member States, adopted a communique strongly condemning the attack by the armed forces of Armenia. We would like to express our immense gratitude to brotherly Turkey for demonstrating resolute solidarity in this time of need,” he noted.

The minister also reminded that Azerbaijan continues to suffer from the aggression, as a result of which approximately 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani territories are occupied by Armenia.

Moreover, Bayramov touched upon the consequences of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

“More than a million Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their historical lands and became refugees or internally displaced persons. The four UN Security Council resolutions have demanded an immediate, unconditional, and full withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. However, Armenia continues to disregard these resolutions and other documents of international organizations demanding to cease its occupation and aggression,” he said.

The minister also expressed gratitude the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and Rajaratnam School of International Studies for organizing the webinar, and thanked Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu for inviting him to attend it.

“I believe that it will definitely yield fruitful discussions on leveraging the effects of pandemic. This event will also be a good opportunity in providing an insight into how the Republic of Azerbaijan is tackling the COVID-19 pandemic since its emergence,” he said.

Bayramov also reiterated his sincere condolences to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the occasion of the death of Turkish soldiers in the road accident that took place in the Mersin province on July 27.