Trend News Agency (Baku, Azerbaijan)
August 1, 2018 Wednesday


Baku urges OSCE states to demand Armenia withdraw occupation troops


Aug. 01--On the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Helsinki Final
Act, Azerbaijan urges all OSCE Member States to demand in a firm and
unequivocal manner from Armenia to comply with its obligations under
the Helsinki Final Act and other international legal instruments,
cease use of force against Azerbaijan and withdraw its troops from the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan, spokesman of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said in a statement Aug. 1.

"Helsinki Final Act was adopted on August 1, 1975 within the
Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Helsinki
Final Act established 10 fundamental principles (the 'Decalogue')
governing especially the behavior of states towards each other and
served for maintenance of peace and security in Europe. In January
1992, the Republic of Azerbaijan joined CSCE. Since then Azerbaijan
remains fully committed to its obligations under the Helsinki Final
Act," the statement says.

It is also noted in the statement that the principle of the non-use of
force in the Helsinki Final Act implies a prohibition on the
acquisition of territory by force.

"In the Helsinki Final Act, the principle of the non-use of force is
explicitly linked to the inadmissibility of changing the boundaries of
states through violent means and implies a prohibition on the
acquisition of territory by force. For this very purpose, the Helsinki
Final Act expanded Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and codified the
territorial integrity, the inviolability of frontiers and the non-use
of force as separate principles to emphasize the norm of territorial
integrity. These principles were reaffirmed in the Helsinki Final Act
in a way to emphasize that they are consequential principles generated
by the foundational norm of territorial integrity," Hajiyev said.

He noted that as the OSCE member state, the Republic of Armenia in
blatant violation of its commitments under the Helsinki Final Act, by
use of force occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of
Azerbaijan.

"Armenia conducted notorious ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijani
civilian population in the seized lands. Illegal presence of armed
forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the
continuation of Armenia's use of force and threat of force policy
against Azerbaijan. In order to disguise its illegal actions,
especially use of force and threat of force against territorial
integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, attempts of annexation of
Azerbaijan's occupied territories and forceful expulsion of civilian
Azerbaijani population from their native lands, Armenia by all means
tries to distort the principles of equal rights and self-determination
enshrined in Helsinki Final Act," the statement reads.

Hajiyev noted that as established in the relevant OSCE document of
1995, Helsinki Final Act along with the United Nations Security
Council Resolutions constitute the basis of OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs' mandate.

"In accordance with the principles of Helsinki Final Act, Azerbaijan
will ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty within its
internationally recognized borders," Hajiyev said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result
of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven
surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions
on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding districts.