BAKU ( WNAM MONITORING): Three years ago, at 1 p.m. (GMT+4) on September 20, the local anti-terror measures carried out by the Azerbaijani army to restore the country’s sovereignty ended after Armenian separatists in Karabakh raised a white flag and fully accepted the conditions of the Azerbaijani authorities.
The operation, which began on September 19, was completed after its objectives had been achieved. The operation lasted just 23 hours and 50 minutes.
The anti-terror measures were carried out with the stated aims of ensuring implementation of the provisions of the November 2020 trilateral statement, preventing large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, disarming and removing Armenian armed forces units from Azerbaijani territory, neutralizing their military infrastructure, ensuring the safety of civilians returning to territories liberated from occupation, civilians involved in reconstruction work and Azerbaijani servicemen, and restoring Azerbaijan’s constitutional order.
Following an appeal by representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan, an agreement was reached at 1 p.m. on September 20, 2023, to halt the local anti-terror measures under the following conditions:
- Armenian armed forces formations and illegal Armenian armed groups located in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan would lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and posts, and fully disarm. Armenian armed forces units would leave the territory of Azerbaijan, while illegal Armenian armed groups would be disbanded.
- All weapons and heavy equipment would be surrendered simultaneously.
On September 20, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation and announced that Azerbaijan’s sovereignty had been restored following the successful completion of the local anti-terror measures.
After the operation, representatives of the Armenian community living in Karabakh, who had repeatedly declined meetings with Azerbaijani representatives, agreed to a meeting that took place in the city of Yevlakh.
The meetings addressed the dissolution of the separatist regime and the reintegration of Armenians living in Karabakh. At the same time, the Armenian population of Karabakh was given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the reintegration terms proposed by Azerbaijan and independently decide whether to remain in the region.
On September 28, 2023, Samvel Shahramanyan, head of the separatist regime in Karabakh, signed a document on the dissolution of the illegal entity.
