Azerbaijan was obliged to launch counterterrorism measures in Karabakh – Assistant to President for CNN

BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. Azerbaijan was
obliged to launch counterterrorism measures on the ground,
Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan – Head of the Foreign
Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev
said in an interview with CNN,
Trend reports.

Answering provocative questions of the CNN host, Hikmet Hajiyev
strongly reiterated that Azerbaijan had made it clear that, if
illegal armed forces of Armenia in Karabakh disarm and
demilitarize, the anti-terror activities Azerbaijan launched would
be completed.

“Azerbaijan as any country in the world has right to protect its
sovereignty. On multiple occasions Azerbaijan has said that there
are 10,000 Armenian soldiers. This was a threat not only to
Azerbaijan, but to the whole region. But this is in the past now.
We are looking forward to provide rights and security to average
Armenian residents of Karabakh under the constitution of
Azerbaijan, and ending with the “grey zone” that has been in place
for 30 years in Azerbaijan. This “grey zone” is a remnant of
30-year long Armenian occupation,” he said.

Hajiyev pointed out that Azerbaijan was not aiming at Armenian
civilians in Karabakh, contrariwise, Azerbaijan has used precision
guided munitions and we had been very selective and very accurate
in regard with target neutralization, while all civilians have been
informed beforehand via SMS.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure the provisions of the
Trilateral Statement, to stop large-scale provocations in the
Karabakh economic region, to disarm and withdraw formations of the
Armenian armed forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, to
neutralize their military infrastructure, to ensure the safety of
the peaceful population returning to the territories liberated from
occupation, civil servants involved in construction and
reconstruction works, and our military personnel, as well as to
restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
anti-terrorist measures have been launched in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives
of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian
peacekeeping contingent, on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4),
an agreement was reached on the cessation of local anti-terrorist
activities under the following conditions: Armenian armed forces
formations, illegal Armenian armed formations located in
Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their
combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm,
Armenian armed forces formations leave the territory of Azerbaijan,
illegal Armenian armed formations are disbanded.