Ishrat Shaig, chief analyst on international affairs, said:
Even without taking into account the strong cultural, social and linguistic similarities between the Iranian and Azerbaijani peoples, the first and most important issue related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is full respect for the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Azerbaijan. The insistence of the Azerbaijani state on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region through the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories is justified and is legitimate on the international stage.
The principle of independence and territorial integrity is enshrined in international law as a global concept, and Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter of the United Nations explicitly prohibits the use or even the use of any force against the territorial integrity and political independence.
Respect for the territorial integrity of countries is a principle that calls for respect for the territory of other countries in the international arena, and according to this principle, the territory of a country should never be occupied, attacked or illegally divided.
The spirit of this principle means that the territory of one country as a whole is inviolable and indivisible, and no state can violate this principle in the territory of another state by force and create conditions for its change and disintegration. Because territory is a material basis and a necessary condition for the existence of a state. Thus, the violation of territorial integrity is not an issue that can be ignored by states and peoples.
Azerbaijan is the second Shiite country in the world; in fact, the country’s Shiite population ranks first among other religions.
