Baku, May 4, AZERTAC

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recognizes the legitimate decision and step by Azerbaijan to establish a border checkpoint in its sovereign territory in response to security threats and in line with principles and norms of international law, said the OIC General Secretariat in a statement.

“The General Secretariat refers to the Trilateral Statement signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation on 10 November 2020, which among others, announced the termination of all military activities, and in the spirit of the Trilateral Statement, the General Secretariat urges Armenia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

According to the Trilateral statement, Azerbaijan has the obligation to guarantee the security of the movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo through the Lachin-Khankandi road. The General Secretariat recognizes that ensuring the border security is a prerogative of the Government of Azerbaijan, and a necessary condition for national security, state sovereignty, and the rule of law.

The General Secretariat underlines the call by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers at its 49th session, held in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and at previous sessions, for the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of mutual recognition of and respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders,” the statement said.