Armenia's military drills on occupied lands undermine peace

/By AzerNews - Mushvig Mehdiyev/

Baku insists that Armenian army's periodical military exercises held on the occupied Azerbaijani territories feed the existing status quo and undermine stability in the region.

In keeping with its aggressive nature, Armenia has turned to the use of force whenever it embarked on military drills in Azerbaijan's territory, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Hikmet Hajiyev said.

"The military training of the Armenian forces conducted on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan are yet another example of Yerevan's use of force," he said.

According to reports in the Armenian media, the drills have been carried out using live ammunition during training rather than artificial non-armed tactical exercises.

Hajiyev emphasized that the upcoming elections to be held in Nagorno-Karabakh fit within Armenia's military and political campaign against Azerbaijan.

"Instead of aligning itself with the big peace agreement initiated by Baku and supported by the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenia undermines the negotiation process through its political and military provocations," he said.

No peace can manifest in the region while Armenian troops remain in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Peace can be fostered through the de-militarization of the occupied territories and Armenian troop's complete withdrawal.

"The resolution of the conflict and restoration of both peace and stability in the region may only come after Armenia troops withdraw from Azerbaijani territories," he concluded.

Azerbaijan's internationally recognized Nagorno-Karabakh territory was turned into a battlefield and zone of aggravated tensions after Armenia sent its troops to occupy Azerbaijan's lands in the early 1990s. As a result, 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory stands under military occupation of Armenia.

For the past two decades, and despite calls from the international community, Armenia has refused to withdraw its troops and retreat within its national borders.

Baku's diligence in view of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is well seen in the international arena, however it is yet to receive relevant feedbacks from Yerevan.