Despite Azerbaijan’s strong commitment to ensuring peace in the region, some forces continue to violate the country’s legitimate rights, political scientist Tural Ismayilov told News.Az.

According to the political scientist, the prevention by Armenian separatists of the delivery of the Russia-initiated humanitarian food cargo and the support provided to this provocation by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acting against its mandate constitute a gross violation of international law.

“If the Armenian residents of Khankendi face a real threat of humanitarian crisis, the roads would not matter and the transportation of goods would be discussed as the main issue. However, Armenian separatists and their patrons consider the non-opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi road as the main “condition”. They believe that goods transportation through the Aghdam-Khankendi road will eradicate separatists in the region, therefore, the Armenian side continues to politicize this issue,” Ismayilov said.

The political scientist also noted that the ICRC keeps acting against its mandate.

“The actions taken by the ICRC during the First Karabakh War and the subsequent period raise serious questions. ICRC’s turning its Armenia Office into a center for smuggling, the use of Armenia by the ICRC as a card against Russia on the initiative of France, as well as ICRC’s attempt to prevent the transportation of the food cargo sent by Russia through the Aghdam-Khankendi road, indicate that this organization has already become a tool of Western imperialism and France’s fascist and racist policy,” he added.

Ismayilov emphasized that the ICRC serving the interests of the West undermines the EU’s statement supporting Azerbaijan’s position on the operation of the Aghdam-Khankendi road.

News.Az