‘Pakistan is a country that does not recognize Armenia for its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. This is a true demonstration of brotherhood,’ says Ilham Aliyev
President Ilham Aliyev hailed Pakistan's resolute support to Baku on Wednesday over the escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, one of the world's oldest conflicts that re-erupted as heavy border clashes broke out on Sunday.
Praising Pakistan for always standing in solidarity with Azerbaijan and expressing his gratitude, Aliyev said, "Pakistan is a country that does not recognize Armenia for its occupation of Azerbaijani lands. This is a true demonstration of brotherhood," as he received letters of credentials from Bilal Hayee, Pakistan's newly-appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
Border clashes broke out early Sunday when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to multiple casualties.
Azerbaijan's parliament declared a state of war in some cities and areas, following Armenia's border violations and attacks in the occupied Upper Karabakh region, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan additionally declared partial military mobilization on Monday.
Relations between the two former Soviet nations have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.
The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was agreed upon in 1994.
France, Russia, and NATO, among others, have called for an immediate halt to clashes in the occupied region.
