EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell was forced to make the statement on his behalf, the source added.

Initially, Borrell’s manifesto condemning Azerbaijan was supposed to be a joint statement from all 27 EU member countries.

On September 19, Azerbaijan announced the launch of an anti-terrorist operation in Nagorno-Karabakh to achieve the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territory, which has been seeking independence since 1988.

Armenia, in turn, denied the presence of its troops in the region and branded the operation as an aggression against the region’s inhabitants.

The following day, Azerbaijan announced an agreement on a cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh, the terms of which included the disarmament and disbandment of illegal Armenian groups in the region.

The two nations have been waging wars over the enclave since the predominantly Armenian-populated territory decided to secede from the then-Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1988.

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