BAKU (DNA) -On 27 September 2020, the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia blatantly violating the norms of international law attacked the civil settlements and military positions of the Republic of Azerbaijan from several directions, resulting in deaths and injuries among civilians and servicemen. Consequently, the Army of the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a counter-offensive to prevent this aggression.

Armenia’s latest provocation accompanied by war crimes against Azerbaijani civilians mobilized all Azerbaijani society.Theseattacks forged national and political solidarity around the counter-measures taken by Azerbaijan within the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Efforts to liberate Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan currently occupied by the Republic of Armenia and ensure return of 100 thousands Azerbaijani IDPs to their native lands are unequivocally supported by Azerbaijani society as a whole, including all political forces in the country.

In this regard, 50 political parties in Azerbaijan issued a joint statement embodying national solidarity as well as unity between people and the Government.Regardless of their political views, these political parties endorsed and strongly supported the steps taken by the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev with a view to the soonest liberation of Azerbaijani lands.

Representatives of various political parties made numerous speeches and appeals through the Azerbaijani mass media outlets during the military operations along the frontline.They expressed their strong support for the measures aimed at implementing the decisions taken by international organizations, especially UN Security Council Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993,demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

The same stance was reiterated on 3October 2020 at a meeting entitled “National Solidarity – the result of political dialogue” with the participation of 50 political party leaders.Speaking at the event, all of them declared that political leadership of Armenia committed sabotage on the frontin order to divert the attention of its population from the socio-economic problems in the country aggravated by the pandemic.This is a continuation of recently intensified provocative actions by Armenia, including the organization of “inauguration ceremony”in Shusha for the puppet “leader” of the so-called illegal “regime”established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the attack in the direction of Tovuz on 12-16 July, sabotage in the direction of Goranboy on 23 August, illegal settlement activities in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan etc. The unconstructive stance taken by the leadershipof Armenia in the negotiations on peaceful settlement of the 30 years-old Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its latest irresponsible statements such as “Karabakh is Armenia, full stop!” are the main causes of disruption of the negotiation process.

The participants also expressed their unanimous support for all political and military measures taken by the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev to protect the territorial integrity and security of citizens of Azerbaijan as well asto prevent large-scale terrorist provocations against the country.

Many members of various political parties joined military units within the partial military mobilization announced in Azerbaijan.