We consider it unacceptable for Lebanese Armenians to become targets of Azerbaijani authorities' attacks: Artsakh's MFA

We consider it unacceptable that those affected by the humanitarian disaster in Beirut become targets of attacks by Azerbaijani authorities and subjects of political exploitation. This statement was released by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh.

“In connection with the recent complaint from the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, where an attempt is made to present the relocation of several Lebanese-Armenian families to the Republic of Artsakh as a violation of norms of international humanitarian law, we find it necessary to state the following:

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh consider it their duty to provide assistance to our compatriots in critical situations caused by various disasters and crises. Moreover, responding to humanitarian disasters falls within the collective responsibility of the entire international community, of which the Republic of Artsakh is an integral part, regardless of its temporarily unrecognized political status.

By sending humanitarian aid to Lebanon and providing shelter to those who lost their homes as a result of the devastating explosion in Beirut, the official Stepanakert contributes to the collective efforts of the international community aimed at realizing humanitarian ideals.

The authorities of the Republic of Artsakh are interested in preserving the Armenian community of Lebanon; however, at the same time, within the framework of their sovereign rights, they will provide necessary support to our compatriots in difficult situations who wish to come and settle in our republic.

The repeated attempts by the Azerbaijani side to present the provision of housing for people affected by the humanitarian disaster as a violation of norms of international humanitarian law demonstrate not only a biased interpretation of international documents but also a distorted understanding of humanitarianism in general. Throughout the conflict and its resolution, the Azerbaijani authorities have displayed an overtly disdainful attitude towards humanitarian issues, using them solely for their own interests to mask their true, condemned goals. This is evidenced by the scandalous disregard for the rights of half a million Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan for over three decades, whose expulsion was accompanied by mass killings and brutal massacres, yet to this day, official Baku persistently refuses to acknowledge its responsibility for their tragic fate.

We consider it unacceptable for those affected by the humanitarian disaster in Beirut to become targets of attacks by Azerbaijani authorities and subjects of political exploitation. We reaffirm that the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh will continue to provide necessary assistance to all our compatriots who find themselves in difficult situations in their places of residence.