By  Trend

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Azercosmos have released a joint statement on Armenia’s illegal activities in occupied Azerbaijani territories, Trend reports.

“As a result of monitoring of illegal activities carried out by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan through June-July of this year, the Azercosmos via its Azersky satellite revealed a case of de-forestation of the 0.46-hectare forest strip close to the area of Isabulaghy in Shusha city. Also, the satellite images recorded a planning for new buildings in this area on the 0.85 ha surface,” the statement says.

“Obviously, as a result of the illegal activities, including the ecological terrorism committed by Armenia in our occupied territories, the forest areas are rapidly degrading, new infrastructure projects are being carried out and the natural resources are illegally exploited in these areas. Azersky's images revealed that along with the illegal exploitation of gold mines in Kalbajar district, geological explorations, excavations and construction of new infrastructure elements (roads, buildings, installations, etc.) are carried out on the 740 hectares surface at the Damirli mine in Tartar district.”

“At the same time, recent surveys conducted via Azersky revealed that illegal use of agricultural areas and large-scale wildfires have continued in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Thus, only in Fuzuli district fires were recorded in the area covering approximately 15,000 hectares,” the statement says.

“Apparently, Armenia continues the illegal actions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, in particular exploitation and pillage of natural resources, including agricultural and water resources, change in social, economic and transport infrastructure, also a number of other activities causing environmental damage, such as de-forestation and wildfires. These illegal activities are aimed at continuing and consolidating the current status-quo of the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, the annexation of the occupied territories and preventing the Azerbaijani internally displaced people from returning to their homes.”

“Armenia and its natural and legal persons, as well as all the other persons and companies involved in the illegal activities in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions violating the international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law and the legislation of Azerbaijan, bear the administrative and legal responsibilities.”

“Armenia has to understand that occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan is temporary and the return of these lands back to the Azerbaijani control sooner or later is inevitable. In particular, the damage caused by the aggressive forces to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will becalculated through the appropriate international mechanisms and Armenia will have to pay damages caused to the Azerbaijan and respond legally for all its unlawful acts,” the statement says.