The Armenian office of the Grant Thornton International, a US company engaged in audit and consulting services, said that no publication or documentation for promotion of unlawful business activities in the present or in the future directly or indirectly will be issued in respect of Nagorno Karabakh territory occupied by Armenian forces.
“On behalf of Grant Thornton Azerbaijan we would like to once again note our respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and emphasize that our activities are realized in the framework of international law and national legislation,” said the company’s statement.
In mid-October, the managers of the company’s Azerbaijani office were invited to the Economy and Industry Ministry with regard to information that the company’s Armenian office plans to release the business guides about the economic activity in the Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani lands.
During the meeting, they were explained that under Azerbaijan’s national laws, an illegal activity in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan can be subject of prosecution.
After this meeting, the Managing partner of Grant Thornton Azerbaijan Farouk Mohamed assured that under no circumstances, Grant Thornton International will allow any member firm to violate the laws and regulations of the Azerbaijan government.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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