Today.Az » Politics » Azerbaijani MFA: Some Australian officials’ steps promoting illegal regime in Nagorno-Karabakh contradict Australian official position
03 August 2019 [17:12] - Today.Az


By  Trend

The steps of some Australian officials in relation to the illegal separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh region contradict the official position of the Federal Government of Australia, spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said.

Abdullayeva was commenting on the information about the meeting of Australian officials with "representatives" of the illegal separatist regime in the occupied region of Azerbaijan - Nagorno-Karabakh, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

“As we have already informed, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has been seriously in charge of and has taken a number of measures recently with regard to the activities of the Armenian diaspora organizations of Australia in promoting the illegal separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, as well as the statements by the Australian official of Armenian origin,” she said.

“Thus, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Commonwealth of Australia presented the note verbal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Australia,” Abdullayeva said. “Our protest was also brought to the attention of the Ambassador of Australia in the meeting held at the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.”

“In their response, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia reiterated the official position of the Federal Government of Australia on supporting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at the meeting held with the Azerbaijani Chargé,” she said. “It was stressed that the so-called "representatives" of the separatist regime has not been officially recognized by Canberra, and their visit is in their personal capacity.”

“Moreover, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has sent an official letter to his Australian counterpart Marise Payne,” Abdullayeva said. “In his letter, Mammadyarov referring to the position of international community on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including the UN Security Council resolutions of 1993 and numerous other decisions and resolutions of other international organizations, emphasized that the steps taken by some officials of Australia serving the promotion of the illegal regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan contradict the expressed official position of the Federal Government of Australia. Mammadyarov reminded that such steps in relation to the illegal separatist regime were not in line with the well-known international practice and constitute a flagrant violation of the norms of international law.”

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, 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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.



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