Azerbaijani politicians and experts demand the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Karabakh

Baku / 11.12.20 / Turan: A group of leaders of political parties and public organizations of Azerbaijan, representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora appealed to the international community with an appeal to ensure the withdrawal of Russian "peacekeeping" troops from Azerbaijan.

The appeal addressed to the UN, the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the European Parliament, PACE, OSCE, the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, NATO, NATO PA, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNESCO notes that Nagorno-Karabakh and seven annexed regions of Azerbaijan were occupied by Armenia in its time with the support of Russia. They point out that the deployment of Russian "peacekeepers" in the region after the 44-day war is a violation of international norms. Russian troops were deployed without a UN mandate. Russia has created military bases for a day, equipping its forces with military weapons incompatible with peacekeeping activities.

The Russian government signed an agreement on regulating the activities of peacekeepers not with the government of Azerbaijan, but with the government of Armenia, grossly violating the sovereign rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Despite the abolition of the "Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region" by the decision of the Azerbaijani parliament in 1991 and the change in administrative-territorial units in some regions of Azerbaijan, the Russian "peacekeepers" exceeded their mission and took control of part of the settlements of the former Agdere region in the Kelbajar and Terter regions.

Under the pretext of an agreement on the creation of a "humanitarian corridor”, Russian "peacekeepers" took control of the city of Lachin and 5 km zone around it, which is "an act of aggression against the territorial integrity of our country and the inviolability of its state borders."

The Russian government is preventing the transfer of most of the regions of the former "Nagorno-Karabakh region" under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan and the creation of relevant state bodies in these regions. Russian "peacekeepers" are working closely with occupying Armenia to create a separatist "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" and promote it as an independent state.

The authors of the appeal believe that the Russian armed forces should be immediately withdrawn from the country for committing illegal actions incompatible with the "peacekeeping" mission, close cooperation with the occupying Armenia and the leaders of the separatist terrorists of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" and violation of the sovereign rights of Azerbaijan.

Russia and France should be removed from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship for gross violation of their obligations to be impartial mediators.

Appropriate sanctions and other effective measures should be taken against Armenia for a threat to peace and international security in the region with the military-political support of Russia, as well as for failure to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of the occupation forces from Azerbaijan.

The appeal was signed by the head of the United Azerbaijan National Unity Party Hajibaba Azimov, the chairman of the Citizens and Development Party Ali Aliyev, the head of the Freedom Party Ahmed Oruj, the head of the Classic Popular Front Party Mirmahmud Miralioglu, chairman of the Free Democrats party Sulhaddin Akbar, the head of the Movement for Democracy and Welfare Gubad Ibadoglu, Professor of the University of the American State of North Carolina Ali Asgarov , Professor Tofig Shahtiakhtinsky, Head of the Platform for Democratic Change Ali Mustafayev, Head of the East-West Research Center Arastun Orujlu, Head of the Center for Security Studies Ilham Ismail, Head of the Center for Promotion of Journalism Gulu Maharramli, and Chairman of the Borchali Society Zalimkhan Mammadli.

The same group of persons adopted separate appeals to the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey - Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan with an appeal to "take the necessary measures to prevent any actions of Russian "peacekeepers" directed against the territorial integrity and state sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

They also  request to take urgent measures to restore the sovereign rights of Azerbaijan and the activities of the relevant state bodies in Khankendi and adjacent regions under the control of Russian "peacekeepers" and Armenian separatists. It is proposed to conclude appropriate agreements and contracts for the deployment of the military contingent of the Republic of Turkey in the territories covering the former Nagorno-Karabakh region in order to control the ceasefire and ensure peaceful life in these territories together with the military units of Azerbaijan.

“The Russian armed forces should be immediately withdrawn from the country due to illegal actions incompatible with the “peacekeeping” mission, close cooperation with the occupying Armenia and the leaders of the so-called separatist-terrorist regime “NKR”, the document further says.

It also contains the development and implementation of political and political-legal measures to return the Zangezur region and other territories transferred to Armenia by the central bodies of the Soviet Union to the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan in violation of the norms and principles of national and international law. —06D-