Ramiz Mehdiyev: Armenian controlled territory of Azerbaijan-Iran border has been actively used for trafficking of drugs, arms and humans

The 1st international meeting of the high representatives supervising security issues was held in Sochi on October 5-6. Chief of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, academician Ramiz Mehdiyev made a speech at the forum entitled “Transnational crime, interconnection of its most dangerous types”.

He said: “Terrorism as the utmost manifestation of extremism, is one the most destructive types of international organized crime for its consequences.”

Mehdiyev stressed the modern terrorist attacks are more catastrophic as far as the number of casualties and scale of destruction. He underlined: “International terrorism and drug trafficking are further intersecting with another dangerous type of transnational crime, which is arms trafficking.”

The chief of the Presidential Administration said: “Progressing illegal migration and human trafficking facilitate the formation of new international criminal networks controlling all aspects of this activity.”

He noted: “Unfortunately, the problems of the real world have been transferred to the virtual space as well. I have to note with regret that all mentioned manifestations of transnational organized crime did affect Azerbaijan as well. Therefore, it is natural that the Concept of National Security and Military Doctrine of Azerbaijan name international terrorism, illegal trafficking in drugs and arms, illegal migration and human trafficking as the threats to national security of our country, alongside with the continuing occupation of 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan by the Republic of Armenia.”.

Mehdiyev said: “It was not by chance that I mentioned the threats deriving from international organized criminal activity in the context of the occupation of the part of the territory of Azerbaijan. The joining of terrorist groups with criminal organizations of various profiles, operating within the so-called “gray zones”, creates huge potential for crime and is one of the most dangerous tendencies. Such zone has been created in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven other adjacent regions of Azerbaijan occupied by the armed forces of Armenia. Incoming operative information and the facts proved in a procedural manner allow to state that this territory, including 132 km of the border between Azerbaijan and Iran which are under the de facto control by Armenia, has been actively used for production, transit of and trafficking in drugs, arms and human beings, illegal migration, redeployment and concealment of terrorists, money laundering and other dangerous types of transnational crime.”

He stressed: “Undoubtedly, the Azerbaijani State takes all necessary legislative, institutional and operational measures in order to strengthen the fight against international organized crime in its own territory. Being an active member of anti-terrorism coalition, Azerbaijan has been effectively participating in combating terrorism. It is clear that efforts of a single state are not enough to stand against transnational criminal organizations.”

“There is no alternative to the strengthening of international cooperation in this field”, he added.


/AzerTAc/