Western Azerbaijan Community condemns Belgian FM's "blockade" claims

BAKU, Azerbaijan.

Western Azerbaijan Community has condemned biased statements of Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, Trend reports.

According to the community, statements of the minister about the need to "end the blockade", made on August 12, are far from reality.

The community called on Belgium not to succumb to Armenia's manipulative politics, to avoid showing a selective approach to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, and to refrain from meddling in Azerbaijan's domestic affairs.

"We remind the Belgian foreign minister that there is no territorial entity named 'Nagorno-Karabakh' within Azerbaijan's territory," the community said.

The community also called upon Lahbib to raise the issue of the return of Western Azerbaijanis to Armenia during upcoming contacts with her Armenian counterpart, including the announced visit to the region.

In order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren't withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a border checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, 2023, at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 this year, the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan ensured the passage of Armenian residents, representatives of ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping contingent (temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement) through the border crossing, the Armenian side spread false allegations about the alleged "tense humanitarian situation" in the region in order to continue its illegal activities in Azerbaijani territories.

At the same time, the Armenian side committed provocations, such as shelling Azerbaijani border guards on June 15, an attempt at smuggling, sending trucks to the territory of Azerbaijan on July 26 without permission.