I. Aliyev to Ambassador of Greece: Azerbaijan Strongly Supports Turkey in Eastern Mediterranean

Baku / 03.09.20 / Turan: Azerbaijan is concerned about military cooperation between Armenia, Greece and Cyprus. This was stated by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, accepting the credentials of the new Ambassador of Greece, Nikolaos Piperigos, on September 2.

He drew attention to the fact that Armenia is a country that occupied the territory of Azerbaijan, committed an act of genocide in Khojaly, expelling one million Azerbaijanis from their native places.

He drew attention to the fact that Armenia is a country that occupied the territory of Azerbaijan and committed an act of genocide in Khojaly, expelling one million Azerbaijanis from their native places.

“The second issue I want to raise with you, so that you hear it not from other sources but from me personally, is our concern about military cooperation involving Armenia, Greece and Cyprus. As you know, Armenia is a country that has occupied our territories. It has committed an act of genocide in Khojaly, expelled one million Azerbaijanis from their homes, destroyed our historical, cultural and religious monuments, implemented a policy of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories, is violating international law and does not comply with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and other organizations.”

“Two years ago, the European Union and Azerbaijan initialed a document called “Partnership Priorities”. In that document, the European Union supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized borders.”

“Armenia is acting aggressively. The latest tensions on the state border are a provocation by Armenia. An Armenian officer was recently detained while trying to cross the line of contact in an attempt to commit a terrorist act, and he has already admitted that his group intended to attack our servicemen and civilians. In short, Armenia is the enemy of Azerbaijan, and this was their decision.”

“Of course, Armenia's close military cooperation with any country is a matter of concern for us. You are probably aware of our reaction to the intense supply of weaponry from Russia to Armenia immediately after Armenia’s provocation on the border. Active clashes were suspended on 16 July, and from 17 July until yesterday – yesterday was the last flight – there were numerous cargo flights from Russia to Armenia through the airspace of Caspian littoral states. I am saying this to you for a reason. We have also raised this issue with our Russian partners, and we are concerned about military cooperation with Armenia. This poses a major threat to Azerbaijan because they are using these weapons to kill our servicemen and civilians.”

“We are concerned about this tripartite format of cooperation. Of course, every country does what it thinks is right. Therefore, we are not in a position to block or prevent it in any way. But I think that it would be good if you hear from me that this is an issue that worries us, and I have explained why it happened.”

“It is not Azerbaijan that has occupied the territory of Armenia – Armenia has occupied Azerbaijani territory. This is reflected in the documents of all international organizations.”

He also touched upon the exacerbation between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

“The last issue I want to touch upon is the recent tension between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean region. I can tell you, and it is no secret, that Turkey is not only our friend and partner, but also a brotherly country for us. Without any hesitation whatsoever, we support Turkey and will support it in any circumstances. We see the same support from our Turkish brothers. They support Azerbaijan on all issues, and we support them on all issues, including the issue of exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

“I want you to know our position. This position has already been officially announced by the Azerbaijani government on my instructions. I can tell you again that Turkey is not only a friend but a brotherly country for us. The Turks are our brothers. So we will be with them in all matters.”

“I want to find something positive to touch upon, but unfortunately I can't find it. Perhaps we hope that the new government of Greece, which came to power relatively recently, will reconsider the policy of the previous government against Azerbaijan.”

“We can restore contacts and discuss issues that create positive dynamics. But, of course, that will depend on the policy and position of the Greek government.”

Ambassador Nikolaos Piperigos, for his part, noted that Greece, like Azerbaijan, adheres to international law.

“Always and fully observing international law, we pay attention not to harm relations with Azerbaijan, and we would like to see the same from your side, as much as possible. However, it seems to me, given that our new government has been given time to find opportunities to improve relations with your government, the future of our cooperation may be more successful. I can say so much for now,” the diplomat said. — 06D-