Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

Baku has urged the host nations to protect the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions from possible attacks of Armenian fanatics in their territories, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry.

“We strongly condemn the criminal actions of the radical Armenian groups and expect a responsible attitude to their duties from agencies in charge of preventing such provocations in the respective countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry emphasized that the attacks by Armenian communities on buildings of the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions abroad are a source of serious concern.

These assaults, which include elements of vandalism and terrorism, are intended to hurt diplomats and their properties, and hence are classified as criminal acts, the ministry underlined.

Azerbaijan demands that the acts of vandalism committed by radical Armenian forces be investigated by the respective countries' law enforcement authorities and those liable for these crimes to face legal consequences, it added.

The ministry reminded that in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, it is the host state's specific obligation to safeguard the diplomatic mission from all types of assaults and damage and to take the necessary steps to avoid a breach of tranquility or an insult to the mission's honor.

Following the recent border clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian military forces in response to the latter's provocation, a number of Azerbaijani missions overseas have been attacked and vandalized by Armenian fanatical groups.

On September 18, Armenian extremists in France stormed the building of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris.

“French Armenian fanatics storm the building of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris. But let's leave the Armenian barbarians aside. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, shame on France, which does not protect embassies and ignores our fundamental requests related to our security,” Rahman Mustafayev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France tweeted.

Similarly, an aggressive group of Armenian radicals attacked the Azerbaijani embassy in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on September 16.

The related video has gone viral on social media, which showed a crowd attempting to attack the diplomatic mission.

Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva has condemned the attacks on the diplomatic missions, urging the international community to take measures based on the norms and principles of international law to ensure the protection of embassies and diplomatic missions.

“We strongly condemn such heinous events, which contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of intolerance toward Azerbaijanis in Armenia and beyond, hinder the provision of sustainable peace between the parties, as well as the development of hateful and spiteful expressions by people of Armenian descent in public speeches and on social media that encourage hostility,” Aliyeva said.

She urged the Armenian government to uphold its international duties, refrain from discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, and end its anti-Azerbaijani policies as soon as possible.

To recap, units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in the Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13. The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps.

The clashes between the sides ensued as a result of the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 79 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed.

The Azerbaijan military units stationed in these areas took decisive retaliatory measures to suppress the provocations of the Armenian armed forces and military threats to Azerbaijan's territory and sovereignty, as well as to ensure the safety of military personnel, including civilian workers involved in infrastructure construction in Kalbajar and Lachin districts, the ministry emphasized.

So far, the Armenian government reported 135 losses among its own military personnel.

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