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27 July 2017

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend

The pro-Armenian congressman Brad Sherman insists on providing the UK’s HALO Trust non-governmental organization, which is training the Armenian occupiers to mine Azerbaijani territories, with funds.

During the US House of Representatives’ subcommittee hearing on "Examining the President’s FY 2018 Budget Proposal for Europe and Eurasia" member of the House Committee on Foreign Relations and, of course, member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Congressman Brad Sherman urged the US to support the mine-clearing process in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia.

As always, Sherman "forgot" to mention about the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh region. He also "forgot" to mention that the assistance will be rendered to the HALO Trust organization, which manages the illegal mine clearing work. Azerbaijan, of course, has not given consent on carrying out the so-called mine clearing work, which has been going on the territory of Azerbaijan, the territory of which has been recognized by the US as well.

The pro-Armenian congressman’s interest in mine clearing work in Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia is obvious. According to the information posted by the organization on its website, the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh region are involved in mine clearing process. The Armenian occupiers, in particular, representatives of military organizations, will obtain skills which can be and will likely to be used against Azerbaijan in the occupied territories.

A decision was made to close the OSCE Office in Yerevan in September because of this threat. As the HALO Trust, OSCE Office in Yerevan also launched mine clearing operations in the Azerbaijani territories without the mandate or consent of the Azerbaijani side.

In general, the activity of the UK’s NGO raises many legitimate questions and its peaceful mission, as it says, in the occupied Azerbaijani territories is doubtful although cooperation with the occupier does not accord with the notion of a "peaceful" mission.

The way of the NGO’s presenting the information about its illegitimate activity on its own website is worth noting. Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenia, is mentioned as a separate and independent state, rather than as part of Azerbaijan, which contradicts the resolutions of the UN General Assembly and all norms of international law.

Moreover, one can see the Armenian name of the capital of the Azerbaijani district, rather than the internationally recognized geographical name of Khankendi, on the map.

Aside from that, the borders of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region cover, for some reason, other seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan, which are also under the occupation of Armenia, while the Azerbaijani district centers have Armenian names (Mardakert, Martuni, Hadrut).

It is clear that Armenians actively assisted the UK’s NGO in the creation of the section on illegitimate activity of the NGO in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region on www.halotrust.org. This is not the first time when they are trying to rewrite history, as well as geography in their own interests.

Baku repeatedly drew the world's attention to the illegal activity of this UK’s NGO. In 2011, Baku did not give permission to transport the equipment of this NGO to Afghanistan through the Azerbaijani territory.

During that time, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Abid Sharifov told reporters that he instructed the relevant organizations to prohibit the transfer of equipment and cars of HALO Trust through the country’s territory as the organization has been included in Azerbaijan’s "black list" due to its illegal activity in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.

This, however, didn't stop the NGO from carrying out illegal activity and did not affect the illegal activity of its sappers in the Azerbaijani territories which threatens the security.

As for Congressman Sherman’s request, it is strange that the representative of the authorities of the US, which is a country not only living according to the principles of international law, but also the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, which is designed to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, rather than exacerbate it, is involved in another Armenian provocation.