The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on the international community not to recognize the so-called “elections” in the territories of Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. ‘The so-called ‘elections’ held in the internationally recognized Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, which is temporarily under the responsibility of the Russian Peacekeepers, are a new manifestation of efforts to unilaterally legitimize the current situation in the region, which is contrary to international law. This step is a flagrant violation of international law including the UN Security Council resolutions, OIC resolutions and the OSCE principles. The OIC General secretariat considers these ‘elections’, which are held at a time when Azerbaijan and Armenia strive to continue peace talks, as a move to undermine the talks. The OIC General secretariat does not recognize these illegitimate elections, which constitute a violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It calls on the UN an
d international community not to recognize these elections and to take effective measures to prevent Armenia from taking steps that endanger the fragile normalization efforts in the region. The OIC, which supports the peace negotiations process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, believes that signing a lasting peace agreement soon will make a major contribution to peace and stability in the region,’ the organization’s statement said.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency