Statement on “The aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia with the direct involvement of Turkey and foreign terrorist fighters: The Humanitarian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh" as delivered by Ambassador Armen Papikyan, 1402 meeting of the PC

15 December, 2022

Mr. Chairman,

Dear colleagues,

This delegation raised the issue because the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh, requires our urgent attention.

From 12 December onward, Azerbaijan, in flagrant violation of the November 9 Trilateral Statement and international humanitarian law, has blocked the Lachin Corridor - the only lifeline for Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan essentially cut Nagorno-Karabakh off from Armenia and the outside world, thus effectively imposing total blockade and deliberately creating dire humanitarian situation in Artsakh.

As we speak now, the 120 000 Armenian population of Artsakh, 30 000 of whom are children, are deprived of their basic human rights. As a result of the blockade mothers are separated from their children, terminally ill patients cannot get medical support and care. 1100 civilians of Artsakh, 270 of whom under-aged citizens, have been stuck on the road and have temporally been sheltered in nearby villages and towns of Armenia and Artsakh.

Even worse, in freezing winter conditions the gas supply from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, carried out through the pipeline passing through the Azerbaijani-controlled territory, has been cut off by Azerbaijan, as was the last case in March, and is not restored as of now. Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh shut down most of the schools and announced on Wednesday that they began rationing fuel, with the priority given to emergency vehicles.

There is an emerging humanitarian crisis that requires immediate reaction from the international community and, particularly, the OSCE, which has been established amongst others to address and react properly to such crisis situations. The humanitarian crisis is imminent, and if not addressed urgently it will lead to a catastrophe.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank those participating States which have clearly expressed their deep concern and condemnation regarding this recent aggressive actions of Azerbaijan, calling on it to immediately restore the free movement through the Lachin Corridor and supply of gas to Nagorno-Karabakh.

I also would like to draw the attention of this Council to the continuous violations of the ceasefire both on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border areas by Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia reported that today morning the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire towards the Armenian army positions in Norabak and Srashen, which is the eastern Gegharkunik province and south-east Syunik province of Armenia, from the positions they have occupied since September of this year. Fortunately, there are no casualties from the Armenian side.

The Foreign Ministry of Armenia in a statement regarding the Azerbaijani provocation in the Lachin Corridor draw the attention of the entire international community, including the UN Security Council, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing and Member States, to the fact that Azerbaijan’s actions may lead to a large-scale humanitarian disaster.

Furthermore, the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan in New York presented this situation to the members of the UN Security Council yesterday and also briefed the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Armenia also applied to the European Court of Human Rights requesting application of interim measures against Azerbaijan.

The Government of Armenia will continue its efforts, using all the legal and political instruments at our disposal, to ensure that the rights and security of the people of Artsakh are protected. We emphasize the necessity of launching or restarting the international mechanisms for ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and for this purpose we shall soon start consultations with international partners.

Mr. Chairman,

Dear colleagues,

The latest provocation by Azerbaijan is in direct contrast with paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, which says: “The Lachin Corridor shall remain under the control of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation; the Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee safe movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo in both directions along the Lachin Corridor.”

Therefore, Azerbaijan grossly violates the international obligations assumed by it back in 2020.

This latest aggressive act is yet another blow to the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It once again reveals the true intentions of Azerbaijan, and how the Azerbaijani regime perceives this process.

The leadership of Azerbaijan claims that they are ready to provide rights and security guarantees for Armenians and that no international mechanisms or presence is required. What we have at hand is illustrative and rather indicative of what they have in mind while saying guarantees - depriving people of food, medicine supply and access to humanitarian relief, as well as freezing them to the point of breaking their resolve to continue living in their homeland, to force them choose between ethnic cleansing and the certain death either from starvation and cold or, if this does not work out, from renewed military aggression.

This behaviour of Azerbaijan not only demonstrates its lack of intention to address the issues of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh but also amounts to the refusal by Baku to hold dialogue with Stepanakert for this purpose. These actions once again confirm that official Baku continues pursuing the policy of ethnic cleansing towards Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Thus, the regular violations of the ceasefire regime by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh and its provocations in the Lachin Corridor resulting in effective blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh make the existential threat to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh more acute.

The actions, warmongering rhetoric and maximalist approach of the leadership of Azerbaijan put the chance of reaching peace and stability in the South Caucasus under a serious risk.

Dear colleagues,

The propagandistic preparations for closing the Lachin Corridor started months ago and it is obvious that this provocation was organised by the state bodies of Azerbaijan, aiming to cut off Nagorno-Karabakh from the Republic of Armenia and thus from the outside world.

First time, in the afternoon of December 3, the Azerbaijani side blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway thus cutting off Artsakh’s connection with Armenia and enforcing temporary blockade. That was the rehearsal, and on 12 December it resorted to the same provocation this time coming forward with new “creative” ideas.

The irony of the whole situation is that the Lachin Corridor is blocked by the so-called “Azerbaijani environmental activists”. The colleagues should not be surprised in this room. Yes, dear colleagues, it turns out that there are eco-activists in Azerbaijan. Moreover, they can freely protest in Nagorno-Karabakh, though not in Azerbaijan, where they are deprived of freedom of assembly and speech for decades, according to the estimations of almost all international monitoring bodies, including of the OSCE.

As one of the U.S. politicians, while condemning these aggressive actions very eloquently pointed out: “The only time the people of Azerbaijan are allowed to freely protest is when it threatens the lives of Armenians.”

This is nothing else but a mockery, corrupting the very ideas of democracy and civil society, and fundamental freedoms, as so-called activists are either representatives of special forces or secret service of Azerbaijan in civilian outfit, or are exclusively on the payroll of the Azerbaijani government, the so-called GONGOs.

Radio Free Europe Armenian service conducted very interesting analysis on individuals who are portraying themselves as eco-activists. Part of so-called eco-activists are military personnel disguised as civilians, the others are political supporters of the ruling family or state employees. What is most revealing, is that none of those co-called ecologists ever wrote or posted anything related to the environment in their social accounts or elsewhere. Instead, their social accounts are full of Anti-Armenian hatred and xenophobic commentary and pictures, as well as expressions of devotion and support to the regime and its actions against Armenians.

Mr. Chairman,

We call on the OSCE and its participating States to unequivocally condemn and take decisive steps to deter Azerbaijan’s deliberate policy leading to a large-scale humanitarian disaster, and to undertake appropriate measures to alleviate suffering among the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We believe that the issue of rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should also be comprehensively addressed within the framework of international mechanisms, with the participation of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries towards establishing stability and predictability and achieving the lasting solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan must uphold international law and abide by its commitments undertaken within this organization, refrain from any provocative actions against the sovereign territories of Armenia and cease its policy of creating existential threats to the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

We underscore that international commitments, including the strict implementation of the commitments undertaken by the Trilateral Statement of November 9, the refusal of the use of force or the threat of the use of force, strict observance of the ceasefire regime, ensuring of uninterrupted movement in the Lachin Corridor under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers are of key importance for the political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region, and for peaceful coexistence of peoples.

We reaffirm that Armenia is committed to continue its efforts towards establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus region in line with the agreements reached at various meetings at the level of leaders, as well as Foreign Ministers of the two countries.

I kindly ask that this statement be attached to the journal of the day.

Thank you.

MFA RA
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