Statement delivered by Ambassador Armen Papikyan at the 1291 PC meeting under the current issue "On the Situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh"

26 November, 2020

I would like to thank my esteemed US colleague for the statement. It goes without saying that we all here are bound by political commitment to uphold principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act, we are bound by our obligation to implement these commitments deriving from Helsinki Final Act principles or Decalogue. At the same time, and this has been the principled position of this delegation, there could be no hierarchy among those agreed principles and no limitation as to their application in order to make the OSCE area a secure and peaceful place for our nations.

Regrettably, our commitment to uphold and defend the OSCE principles becomes hostage of our inability, unwillingness, reluctance to act swiftly and with determination when those principles with the regard to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution are violated, first and foremost the principles of refraining from the threat or use of force and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Let alone the agreed principles within the mandated format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship.

Armenia’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was and is consistent and is based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act. Moreover, we fully endorsed 3 main principles - refraining from the threat or use of force, territorial integrity of states, equal rights and self-determination of peoples - proposed by the Minsk Group Co-chair countries and agreed upon by the OSCE in 2009 and today I thank our American colleague for referring to those principles.

Armenia always considered the format of Co-Chairs as the only internationally mandated mechanism to deal with the conflict and was always supportive of their active engagement in the settlement process. Our genuine desire to find a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been challenged by maximalist demands of Azerbaijan, which being encouraged and instigated by Turkey started a large-sale war on September 27 against Artsakh, with direct involvement of Turkish military and FTFs and jihadists, in clear defiance of all principles of the Helsinki Final Act, and further emboldened by the subdued reaction of international community or absence thereof. On one occasion I have already said that by launching an aggression Azerbaijan violated all provisions of the Helsinki Final Act - the constituent document of this organisation.

Today we have to state that thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal engagement and actions, the people of Artsakh are not living under the constant shelling, man and women are not dying under the cluster munition or white phosphorus, children are not spending days and nights in basements while guessing from the sound were the shell will heat next time. Young soldiers, indoctrinated by one side and defending their homeland from another side, are not dying in the frontline. This is the main achievement of the trilateral statement of 9th November and we all have to recognise that.

We also have to recognise that the situation created in the result of use of force simply cannot be considered as a fait accompli and cannot serve as a basis for negotiations and political sustainable settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Status and security of Artsakh, safe and dignified return of the recently displaced population of Artsakh and addressing urgent humanitarian, social and other issues related to the return of the civilian population to normal life are priorities and should be addressed urgently. The trilateral statement of November 9 should be considered without prejudice to the final political and durable settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Only political and negotiated settlement may bring peace and harmony to the South Caucasus region, without the dangerous and destabilising engagement of the third party. Therefore, Turkey cannot and should not play any role in the resolution of the Nagorno‑Karabakh conflict because by its actions it hinders any progress in the settlement process.

We once again thank the distinguished US Ambassador for raising this issue and appreciate the efforts and engagement of France, Russia and the United States, within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format and hope to see more active and target oriented undertakings to achieve peaceful and negotiated settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs continue to remain the only internationally agreed format for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and enjoy full support of Armenia.

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