Azerbaijan says 8 villages under Armenian occupation still have not handed over

Published November 07,2023

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Azerbaijan reiterated on Tuesday that eight of its villages beneath Armenian occupation have nonetheless not been handed over by Yerevan.

“Armenia chose the path of enduring to menace the peace process, lives of our citizens, restoration and reconstruction work carried out in the region … Armenia also refused to hand over eight Azerbaijani villages, which are still under occupation,” stated an announcement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The assertion was launched on the event of Azerbaijan’s Victory Day on Nov. 8, which celebrates Baku’s victory within the 2020 Karabakh conflict. It stated that regardless of its obligations, Armenia continued to offer army help to separatist forces within the Karabakh area amid peace talks.

It additional emphasised that the separatist forces within the area ignored Azerbaijan’s warnings at varied ranges and platforms, and elevated their provocations again in September, ensuing within the anti-terrorism operation which restored the nation’s full sovereignty over its territories.

“Currently, after the existence of the Armenian armed forces and the puppet regime created by Armenia in our territories were brought to an end, there are ample opportunities for peace and stability in the region,” the assertion stated.

It added that “Armenia must finally recognize that there is no alternative to peace and cooperation in the region,” noting that Azerbaijan calls on Armenia to show a “constructive and just position in the peace process and to understand the realities in the region properly.”

Azerbaijan and Armenia relations have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian army occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan, and 7 adjoining areas.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan throughout a conflict within the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace settlement and likewise opened the door to normalization.

This September, the Azerbaijani military initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to ascertain constitutional order, after which unlawful separatist forces within the area surrendered.

Azerbaijan, having now established full sovereignty within the area, has reiterated its name on the Armenian inhabitants in Karabakh to develop into a part of Azerbaijani society.