Statement in response to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan as delivered by the Delegation of Armenia at the 1315th special meeting of the Permanent Council

25 May, 2021

Madame Chairperson,

I would like to start my statement by informing the Permanent Council that few hours ago the Azerbaijani armed forces which have encroached on the sovereign territory of Armenia since 12 May, violating its territorial integrity, have opened fire on the positions of the armed forces of Armenia deployed in the Vardenis region of Gegharkunik province of Armenia, killing servicemen Gevorg Khurshudyan. Apparently, this was the Azerbaijani concept of “peace” that Foreign Minister Bayramov talked about. And apparently this was the way in which Azerbaijan seas the process of border demarcation and delimitation. Azerbaijan bears full responsibility for this provocation and further escalation of the situation. We will continue to keep the delegations informed on the consequences of this highly provocative actions by Azerbaijan on the sovereign territory of Armenia.

Madame Chairperson,

Let me state, that while listening to the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan my delegation could not find anything new except the old false narratives flavored with an attempt to mirror the fact-based statements of Armenia through concocted allegations and accusations.

Today's special meeting of the Permanent Council has been convened on the occasion of the appearance of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan - a country that has consistently violated and continues to violate the principles of the Helsinki Final Act and international humanitarian law, which resorted to the use of force, invaded the sovereign territory of another OSCE participating State, brutally tortured and executed prisoners of war and civilian captives, subjected them to inhuman and degrading treatment, destroyed the Armenian religious and cultural heritage, carried out mass atrocities, including complete ethnic cleansing of the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control. This list of crimes and violations is not exhaustive. Obviously, the aim of his appearance here today is to whitewash Azerbaijan’s crimes, try to improve its image and show Azerbaijan as a country that allegedly strives for peace and stability in the region.

Madame Chairperson,

On 27 September 2020, Azerbaijan launched a war of aggression against the Republic of Artsakh with the direct support and involvement of Turkey and Turkish- affiliated foreign terrorist fighters relocated from Syria and elsewhere. Azerbaijan’s aggression was well planned and prepared both from the military, diplomatic and informational points of view, therefore any reference by Azerbaijan to a so-called counterattack is an absolute lie. The statement of the President of Azerbaijan at the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2020, full of hatred and clear manifestations of genocidal intent against the Armenian people, became a diplomatic “green light” for this reckless aggression. Moreover, a few days before the attack, the President of Azerbaijan publicly stated that “negotiations are virtually non-existent” and that they “will return their lands by all means”. He also stated that “international law does not work in the world today, and international treaties are just a piece of paper, having no value.”

For many years, Azerbaijan did not even hide that its strategic goal was to resolve the NK conflict by force, which is why the Azerbaijani side had always maintained tension along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border, constantly violating the ceasefire, organizing armed provocations and sabotage attacks. The Azerbaijani president often publicly criticised the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, openly resorting to blackmail and threats. Two days before the start of the aggression, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence rejected a request by the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office to organize a monitoring of the ceasefire along the Line of Contact. Azerbaijan also made other war preparations such as closing air corridors, recruiting reservists, confiscating civilian trucks for military needs and so on.

During the 44-day war, Azerbaijan and Turkey, in clear defiance of their international obligations and OSCE commitments and despite three ceasefire agreements brokered by Russia, France and the United States, continued their joint offensive using tanks, combat helicopters and aircraft, heavy artillery, UAVs, missiles and multiple rocket launchers, prohibited cluster and white phosphorus munitions. Moreover, Turkish F-16 fighters and Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, deployed in Azerbaijan under the pretext of a joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military exercise, were actively used.

Azerbaijan’s aggression was accompanied by numerous gross violations of the laws and customs applicable in armed conflict, including mass atrocities and war crimes, deliberate targeting of civilian settlements and critical infrastructure, hospitals, religious sites and monuments, the use of banned cluster and white phosphorus munitions, as well as brutal and arbitrary killings of civilian captives and prisoners of war, including ISIS-style beheadings, inhuman and degrading treatment of captured Armenians and mutilation of dead bodies.

As a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh, 72 civilians were killed, of which 31 were killed while already in captivity. A preliminary forensic examination of the bodies revealed clear evidence and traces of torture, stabbing, beheading and shooting at close range. Moreover, 163 civilians received injuries of varying severity, including with life-long disabilities. More than 130 thousand civilians have been displaced.

During their aggression, the Azerbaijani military also attacked the positions of the Armenian armed forces in the area of the town of Vardenis in eastern Armenia, shelling adjacent villages and settlements, with the use of UAVs and artillery. On 1 October, as a result of the use of combat drones against the villages of Shatvan and Mets Masrik in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia, one civilian was killed and two were injured, civilian houses were burned down. Drone strikes also left a 14-year-old teenager seriously wounded.

As a result of the war, material damage was caused to 160 Armenian settlements, including 13,100 private properties and 2,000 movable properties, 2,700 infrastructure facilities and other objects.

Amnesty International’s crisis response experts identified Israeli-made M095 DPICM cluster munitions, used by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The Cultural Centre of Shushi was reportedly destroyed by an Israeli-made LORA long-range quasi-ballistic missile. The Holy Saviour (Ghazanchetsots) Cathedral in Shushi was deliberately targeted with high precision weapons twice during the same day.

Distinguished colleagues,

From the very beginning of the 44-day war of aggression, Turkey provided unreserved political and military support to Azerbaijan. Shortly after the start of Azerbaijan’s aggression, Turkish President Erdogan expressed Turkey’s unilateral support for Azerbaijan based on the concept “one nation, two states”. He went even further stating that Armenia was the main threat to the peace and security in the region.

In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister stated that Turkey was ready to support Azerbaijan not only at the negotiating table, but also on the battlefield. It should also be noted that all military operations of Azerbaijan were carried out under the coordination of the Turkish military, as well as using military equipment and weapons provided by Turkey. The total number of Turkish military personnel stationed in Azerbaijan at that time amounted to 600, including a tactical group of 200 troops, 50 commanders stationed in Nakhijevan, 90 military advisors in Baku, a tactical flight group of 120 personnel at the Gabala air base, as well as 20 UAV operators at Dallyar airport, 50 commanders at Yevlakh airport, 50 commanders in the 4th Army Corps and 20 officers at the Naval Base and the Military Institute in Baku. In addition, in the second half of October 2020, a brigade of Turkish special forces of up to 1200 people, specializing in the conduct of combat operations in mountainous areas, was sent to Azerbaijan. Major General Bakhtiyar Ersay, Chief of the Operations Directorate of the Ground Forces of Turkey, was directly involved in the planning of military operations and personally supervised the Azerbaijani General Staff and the entire operation against Artsakh. Lieutenant General Seref Ongay, Commander of the 3rd Field Army of the Ground Forces of Turkey and other Turkish generals conducted joint Turkish-Azerbaijani offensive operations. Turkish Major General Heksel Kahya coordinated all flights of the Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs. All operational intelligence information obtained with the help of the UAVs was transferred to the command in Turkey.

Furthermore, Turkey recruited and transferred over 4,000 foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists to Azerbaijan to fight against Armenia and Artsakh. Despite consistent denial by Turkey and Azerbaijan, numerous Syrian mercenaries spoke to Reuters, The Guardian, BBC and many other reputable media and journalists. According to various reports, terrorist organizations and groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Firqat al-Hamza and Sultan Murad Division, all of which are on the United Nations list of terrorist organizations, fought alongside the Azerbaijani army.

The Defence Army of Artsakh captured at least two Syrian terrorist fighters who admitted that they were recruited by Turkey to fight the “infidels” and that they were promised a salary of 2,000 US dollars per month with an additional 100 dollars in reward for each severed head of an “infidel”.

On 11 November, a report by the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination confirmed that “the Government of Azerbaijan, with Turkey’s assistance, relied on Syrian fighters to shore-up and sustain its military operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, including on the frontline.”

Madame Chairperson,

Azerbaijan’s war of aggression against Artsakh was accompanied by numerous war crimes, including deliberate targeting of civilian settlements and critical infrastructure, hospitals, religious sites and monuments, the use of prohibited cluster and white phosphorus munitions.

During the war, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned that continued indiscriminate attacks in populated areas of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, in contravention of international humanitarian law, might amount to war crimes. The execution of two Armenians in the town of Hadrut, captured by the Azerbaijani military, was assessed by the Commissioner as an act amounting to war crime. The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR), through its relevant decisions on the application of interim measures against Azerbaijan and Turkey, confirmed the responsibility of these two States for aggression and war crimes, as well as for violations of the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to life and prohibition of torture.

18-year-old Erik Mkhitarian was killed in Azerbaijani captivity after the end of hostilities. This was the second barbaric killing of a prisoner of war. The first was the murder of Arsen Gharakhanyan, a father of four, whose body was found on 18 January in Nagorno-Karabakh’s Hadrut region occupied by the Azerbaijani forces.

In addition, 17 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians were tortured and arbitrarily killed in Azerbaijani captivity. 12 of them were civilians, including four women. These extrajudicial killings clearly indicate that the chances of survival of any Armenian in Azerbaijani captivity are minimal.

The Azerbaijani authorities continue their attempts to present the Armenian prisoners of war as “terrorists” and to initiate criminal proceedings against them in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and paragraph 8 of the trilateral statement of November 9. In addition, Azerbaijan hides the exact number of POWs and refuses to provide the full list to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the European Court of Human Rights. The Court recently notified the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of Azerbaijan’s failure to comply with the time limits set by the Court for the submission of information. Interim measures are currently in force in relation to 188 Armenians captured by Azerbaijan. The claim by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan that there are no women of Armenian origin in Azerbaijani custody is highly questionable and alarming, since, according to our information, several Armenian women are still being held in Azerbaijan, including 76-year-old Elsa Sargsyan and mother and daughter Varya and Anahit Tunyan, all of whom are residents of the Hadrut region of Artsakh.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, together with several experts on enforced or involuntary disappearances, emphasized that “everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should be returned to their homes, and [the] relatives of those killed must be able to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones” as stipulated in the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020. They also expressed their concern over the reported cases of extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture, ill-treatment, and desecration of bodies.

Madame Chairperson,

On 9 November, the Prime Minister of Armenia joined the statement of the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan on the cessation of hostilities and the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh. The document was aimed at establishing a ceasefire and ensuring security. Unfortunately, later the provisions of the trilateral statement were blatantly violated.

On 11 November, ten Armenian citizens went missing while they were in Nagorno-Karabakh on a humanitarian mission. Armenia filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights requesting the application of interim measures against Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the Court applied interim measures against Azerbaijan urging to ensure respect for the rights of captives under the Convention and to provide them with the necessary and appropriate treatment. The court also requested information about ten Armenian citizens abducted on 11 November.

A month after the establishment of the ceasefire, Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the direction of the villages of Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher in the Hadrut region of the Republic of Artsakh. As a result, Azerbaijan captured 64 Armenian servicemen in gross violation of its commitments under the trilateral statement. In an attempt to justify their actions in Hadrut, Azerbaijan attempted to shift the blame on Armenia by invoking a groundless narrative of a fake “anti-terrorist operation” and an alleged sabotage group deployed by Armenia, and initiated criminal cases against them.

This order by the President of Azerbaijan to fabricate criminal cases on trumped-up charges and illegally obtained confessions bears a resemblance to the case of travel blogger Alexander Lapshin who was arbitrarily arrested in Minsk at the request of the President Azerbaijan and extradited to Baku, where he barely survived torture and attempted murder in prison. The European Court of Human Rights, in its recent judgement, found the Azerbaijani authorities guilty of torture and attempted muder of Alexander Lapshin in a Baku prison. This case is quite indicative in that it shows how the judicial system of Azerbaijan actually functions, and that it can initiate any criminal case at the request of its political masters.

The ongoing mockery of criminal prosecution against Lyudvik Mkrtchyan and Alyosha Khosrovyan, who were captured during the recent aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh is exactly within the same logic. Under the international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions, the latters are considered prisoners of war and should have been immediately released after the end of hostilities. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has filed sham criminal cases against them, thus openly violating both the norms of international humanitarian law and its obligations under the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020.

Madame Chair,

The long list of Azerbaijan’s violations of international humanitarian law and the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 has recently expanded. Azerbaijan is currently engaged in the demolition of houses and other property in the occupied territories of Artsakh. It is beyond any doubt that, through such carefully planned criminal acts, Azerbaijan seeks to exclude any possibility of a safe and dignified return of Armenian internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes, thereby also violating 7th paragraph of the trilateral statement, which reads: “Internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent areas under the supervision of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.”

On 20 April, in gross violation of the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened small arms fire on Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh, and on the villages of Shosh and Mkhitarashen in the Askeran region of Artsakh. They also tried to advance their positions in the direction of the village of Nor Ghazanchi in the Martakert region of Artsakh in violation of the 1st paragraph of the trilateral statement, which stipulates that the parties shall stop at the positions held at the time of signing the statement.

Distinguished colleagues,

According to a report prepared by the Office of the Artsakh Human Rights Defender, at least 1,456 immovable monuments of Armenian history and culture have come under the control of Azerbaijan.

Immediately after gaining control over the territories of Artsakh, the Azerbaijani leadership, including President Aliyev, launched a campaign to appropriate the Armenian cultural heritage. They started claiming that all the Armenian churches in those territories belong to the Caucasian Albanians, trying at the same time to present the Azerbaijani people as descendants of the latter, which is clearly absurd for anyone who even remotely is familiar with the history of the migration of Turkic nomads to our region. The example of Dadivank, an ancient Armenian monastery dating back to the 9th century, is a case in point, which, according to the acting Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, is anything but Armenian. President Aliyev also ordered to completely remove all Armenian inscriptions from cultural objects, and instead restore the so-called original “Albanian” inscriptions.

The armed forces of Azerbaijan have been showing disrespect for Armenian monuments and shrines, desecrating and vandalizing cemeteries and churches, including the Church of the Holy Savior (Ghazanchetsots Cathedral) in Shushi. Monuments to the heroes of World War II who played important roles in the victory over Nazism were also demolished and blown up in Shushi.

The Church of St. John the Baptist in Shushi, commonly known as Kanach Zham (Green Chapel), has been razed to the ground by Azerbaijani troops and is now lying in ruins. A BBC documentary titled “Nagorno-Karabakh: The Mystery of the Missing Church” revealed the complete destruction of the Church of the Holy Mother of God in Mekhakavan. The BBC reporter could not simply find any traces of this church, despite knowing for sure that the church was standing when the Azerbaijani troops took control of Mekhakavan.

Recently, under the pretext of reconstruction, the domes of the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral of the Holy Saviour in Shushi were removed. Ironically, the domes of this church were first destroyed by Azerbaijanis (then Caucasian Tatars) back in 1920. Recently, there have been also reports about vandalism and desecration of the Armenian cemeteries in the villages of Taghavard (Martuni region) and Mets Tagher (Hadrut region), which are currently under Azerbaijani occupation.

The policy of destroying the Armenian cultural heritage and places of worship in Artsakh once again proves that the vandalism carried out by Azerbaijan is driven by ethnic hatred and intolerance towards Armenians.

Madame Chairperson,

The anti-Armenian rhetoric, hate speech and dehumanizing language used in public discourse in Azerbaijan, including by high-ranking officials, is another matter of serious concern and should be addressed properly by the relevant OSCE institutions and executive structures.

On 4 October, in a televised address to the nation, President Aliyev used extremely derogatory language when speaking about Armenians and, in particular, said: “Now we have shown who is who. We are driving them away like dogs! Azerbaijani soldiers drive them away like dogs!”

It is worth recalling that Azerbaijan issued a post stamp showing a person standing on a map in medical protective clothing and “disinfecting” the recently occupied territories of Artsakh from “viruses”, which, no doubt, is a clear reference to the ethnic cleansing of this territory from the Armenians.

On 10 December, Azerbaijan organized a military parade attended also by the president and other high-ranking officials from Turkey to glorify the aggression of Azerbaijan, Turkey and foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists against Artsakh.

During the event, the Turkish President praised the words and deeds and recalled the spirit of Enver Pasha, the War Minister of Ottoman Empire and one of the masterminds of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Leaving aside the moral considerations of this show, I would like to draw the attention of the participating States, and in particular the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries to the statements made by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey, which revealed the true intentions of these two countries with respect to Artsakh and Armenia.

Racial and ethnic hatred towards Armenia and the Armenians, was recently manifested in the opening of the so-called Military Trophy Park in Baku – a kind of “hall of fame” glorifying the aggression of Azerbaijan. This park is the embodiment of the extreme manifestation of hatred and Armenophobia with clear elements of Nazism.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Dunja Mijatović, expressed her regret over the “Trophy Park” and described the “dehumanising scenes, including wax mannequins depicting dead and dying Armenians soldiers” as “highly disturbing and humiliating”. “She stressed that “this kind of display can only further intensify and strengthen long-standing hostile sentiments and hate speech, and multiply and promote manifestations of intolerance.”

Madame Chairperson,

The President of Azerbaijan is continuing his aggressive and preposterous rhetoric on each and every occasion, repeatedly making territorial claims against Armenia, in particular with regard to its Syunik province, calling it “historical Azerbaijani lands” and promising to force Armenia to open a so-called “corridor” to Nakhijevan.

References to an imaginary corridor, deliberately undermine the implementation of the trilateral statements of 9 November 2020 and 11 January 2021. I would like to stress that neither the trilateral statement of 9 November, nor that of 11 January refers to any so-called “corridor” to Nakhijevan.

Madame Chairperson,

Early in the morning of 12 May, the armed forces of Azerbaijan violated the state border of the Republic of Armenia in the Syunik province, in the areas of Lake Sevlich (Black Lake), a major water reservoir of the province, as well as Mounts Mets Ishkhanasar and Tsghuk. The Azerbaijani armed forces advanced up to 3.5 kilometres into the sovereign territory of Armenia and attempted to besiege the lake and gain a foothold in the area.

Later, it was followed by other incursions into the sovereign territory of Armenia in the Gegharkunik province of Armenia.

To this date, the Azerbaijani troops continue their illegal presence in the Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces of the Republic of Armenia in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia. This encroachment of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of Armenia, in flagrant violation of international law and OSCE principles and commitments, poses a serious threat to security and stability in the region and beyond.

The Armenian Government is trying to resolve the situation peacefully to avoid further escalation and casualties. However, the restraint of the Armenian side should not be seen as a sign of tolerance towards attempts to seize its sovereign territory. The Azerbaijani troops must unconditionally withdraw from the territory of Armenia to their initial positions as of 11 May.

Distinguished colleagues,

Any exercise, including demarcation and delimitation conducted at the gunpoint, with the use or threat of force cannot lead to sustainable peace and security.

The current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is the result of a flagrant violation by Azerbaijan of several core principles of the Helsinki Final Act, namely, refraining from the threat or use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. There should be no illusion that the results of the use of force, accompanied by war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law, can ever become the basis for a lasting and sustainable peace in the region. Durable and sustainable peace can only be achieved through a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which must include defining the status of Artsakh based on the realization of the inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination; ensuring the safe and dignified return of the displaced population to their homes; and preservation the region’s cultural and religious heritage.

Madam Chairperson,

I kindly ask you to attach this statement to the journal of today’s meeting.

Thank you.

MFA RA
official website

Dual citizenship

Electronic visa

Visa applications