MFA_Report_on_the_occupied_territories_March_2016_1

C. Occupation by Armenia of the Territories of
Azerbaijan and their Attempted Annexation
The examined evidence refutes Armenia’s allegations of non-involvement aimed at disguising
its military presence and occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan and in general its own role
in regard to what is happening in reality in the occupied territories. Armenia spares no effort
to consolidate the results of the unlawful use of force and to this end, continues to undertake
efforts to unlawfully change the demographic, cultural and physical character of the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan.
I. Effective control by Armenia over the occupied territories
The close, almost umbilical, links between
Armenia and the subordinate separatist regime
have a strong personal element at the highest
level, in addition to a whole range of other
connections. Military occupation and control
of the territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia’s
armed forces and, in general, accessibility of
the occupied territories only from Armenia and
with the permission of Armenia’s local agents
attest to the acquiescence and connivance
of the State organs of Armenia in the acts of
subordinate regime, its military formations, as
well as of natural and legal persons, private
individuals and entities of Armenia and some other countries, operating in the occupied territories.
The presented evidence leaves no doubt that the subordinate separatist regime and its armed
formations act on the instructions and under the direction and control of the organs of the Republic
of Armenia and survive by virtue of Armenia’s military and other support.
President of Armenia visits a military unit in the occupied territories
│Photo from www.president.am│ 16 November 2013
President and Minister of Defence of Armenia routinely participate in
the military planning exercises in the occupied territories
│Photo from www.president.am│ 16 November 2013
Thus, the high-ranking political and military
officials, including the incumbent President
of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the Minister
of Defence of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan, who
were commanders of the Armenian armed
forces during the invasion of the territories
of Azerbaijan in 1992-1994, on a number
of occasions admitted the presence and
involvement of the armed forces of Armenia in
military operations both at a time of occupation
of the territories and at present.
It is obvious from the large number of Armenia’s armed forces engaged in active duties in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan that those territories are under the occupation and effective
control of Armenia. The armed formations of the subordinate separatist regime are closely
integrated with and are essentially an extension of Armenia’s armed forces, as evidenced by close
links at all levels, including senior command posts, the joint military planning that includes the
whole range of issues from military built-up 18 to planning and carrying out of military operations,
as well as routine joint operational and tactical military exercises. 19 S.Sargsyan and S.Ohanyan,
as well as other senior military commanders of the armed forces of Armenia routinely visit the
occupied territories, inspect deployed military units and military hardware, examine the frontline
engineering and fortification works, exercise command and control and give instructions to
18
See UN Doc. A/68/133/Add.1, 17 September 2013.
19
See Press release of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia of 10 November 2014, “The Armenian military exercises – Unity 2014”,
; Press release of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia of 27 November 2014, “The results
of the “Unity 2014” military exercises have been summarized”, .
16