The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan issued a statement on the 25th anniversary of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The declaration states that, 25 years of ceasefire signed on May 12, 1994, between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be completed.

 "The announcement of a ceasefire in the conflict zone has been largely linked to the cessation of all military activities, the withdrawal of the occupying forces, the deployment of international peacekeepers, the restoration of communications, the return of internally displaced persons and the continuation of negotiations for a final settlement of the conflict.

This means that the cease-fire represents a complex approach in the context of the above-mentioned objectives. That is, observance of ceasefire does not mean not only stopping the firing, but also the withdrawal of military forces from the conflict zone and the activities that contribute to the strengthening of the occupation, as well as the acts preventing the return of internally displaced persons.

Despite getting of the ceasefire, the occupation of one fifth of our internationally recognized territories, which has resulted in the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis living in the Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions in the past 25 years, continues to be occupied by Armenia. Armenian armed forces continue to exist illegally availability in Azerbaijan.

The demands of the international community, including the UN Security Council resolutions, which are responsible for ensuring international peace and security, are denied by aggressive Armenia. The status quo created as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands is unstable and unacceptable, as the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries repeatedly point out.

The ceasefire also implies the acceleration of the negotiations for the settlement of the conflict. It is clear that the cease-fire is not a solution to the conflict, but it creates conditions for the implementation of urgent measures of the road to the conflict resolution. However, in all these years, Armenia has consistently refused to conduct substantive negotiations on the outcome of the conflict and demand the international community to immediately withdraw the occupying forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan immediately and completely.

Armenia should end its aggression and ethnic cleansing policy, abide by its attempts to mislead its own people and the international community, comply with its international commitments and engage in a negotiated negotiation process as soon as possible, "the statement said.

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