Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan)
July 27, 2017 Thursday
Pro-Armenian congressman insists on funds for NGO training Armenian occupants
by Elmira Tariverdiyeva, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan
July 27--The pro-Armenian congressman Brad Sherman insists on
providing the UK's HALO Trust non-governmental organization, which is
training the Armenian occupiers to mine Azerbaijani territories, with
funds.
During the US House of Representatives' subcommittee hearing on
"Examining the President's FY 2018 Budget Proposal for Europe and
Eurasia" member of the House Committee on Foreign Relations and, of
course, member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,
Congressman Brad Sherman urged the US to support the mine-clearing
process in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.
As always, Sherman "forgot" to mention about the occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh region. He also "forgot" to mention that the
assistance will be rendered to the HALO Trust organization, which
manages the illegal mine clearing work. Azerbaijan, of course, has not
given consent on carrying out the so-called mine clearing work, which
has been going on the territory of Azerbaijan, the territory of which
has been recognized by the US as well.
The pro-Armenian congressman's interest in mine clearing work in
Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia is obvious. According to
the information posted by the organization on its website, the
residents of Nagorno-Karabakh region are involved in mine clearing
process. The Armenian occupiers, in particular, representatives of
military organizations, will obtain skills which can be and will
likely to be used against Azerbaijan in the occupied territories.
A decision was made to close the OSCE Office in Yerevan in September
because of this threat. As the HALO Trust, OSCE Office in Yerevan also
launched mine clearing operations in the Azerbaijani territories
without the mandate or consent of the Azerbaijani side.
In general, the activity of the UK's NGO raises many legitimate
questions and its peaceful mission, as it says, in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories is doubtful although cooperation with the
occupier does not accord with the notion of a "peaceful" mission.
The way of the NGO's presenting the information about its illegitimate
activity on its own website is worth noting. Nagorno-Karabakh region,
occupied by Armenia, is mentioned as a separate and independent state,
rather than as part of Azerbaijan, which contradicts the resolutions
of the UN General Assembly and all norms of international law.
Moreover, one can see the Armenian name of the capital of the
Azerbaijani district, rather than the internationally recognized
geographical name of Khankendi, on the map.
Aside from that, the borders of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region
cover, for some reason, other seven surrounding districts of
Azerbaijan, which are also under the occupation of Armenia, while the
Azerbaijani district centers have Armenian names (Mardakert, Martuni,
Hadrut).
It is clear that Armenians actively assisted the UK's NGO in the
creation of the section on illegitimate activity of the NGO in
occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on www.halotrust.org. This is not the
first time when they are trying to rewrite history, as well as
geography in their own interests.
Baku repeatedly drew the world's attention to the illegal activity of
this UK's NGO. In 2011, Baku did not give permission to transport the
equipment of this NGO to Afghanistan through the Azerbaijani
territory.
During that time, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov told
reporters that he instructed the relevant organizations to prohibit
the transfer of equipment and cars of HALO Trust through the country's
territory as the organization has been included in Azerbaijan's "black
list" due to its illegal activity in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.
This, however, didn't stop the NGO from carrying out illegal activity
and did not affect the illegal activity of its sappers in the
Azerbaijani territories which threatens the security.
As for Congressman Sherman's request, it is strange that the
representative of the authorities of the US, which is a country not
only living according to the principles of international law, but also
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, which is designed to resolve the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, rather than exacerbate
it, is involved in another Armenian provocation.
