Statement as delivered by Ambassador Armen Papikyan at the Chairpersonship Security Review Conference 2023, Special Session on Security Situation in the OSCE area

29 June, 2023

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to thank the OSCE North Macedonian Chairpersonship for convening the “Chairpersonship’s Security Review Conference 2023” against the backdrop of the deep security crisis in Europe in general and in the South Caucasus in particular.

Unfortunately, since last year’s ASRC the security situation in our region continued to deteriorate. The profound security crisis continues to challenge the relevance and the raison d’etre of the OSCE as the platform for ensuring security and conflict resolution in the area of its responsibility.

The large-scale use of force as means of settlement of conflicts, complete disruption of arms control regimes, ongoing violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as using the economic and environmental issues as tools for advancing political agendas are the distinct features of the current crisis.

At the same time, while looking at the performance of the OSCE, as an organization of 57 participating States promoting the concept of comprehensive and indivisible security, for the last decade or so, we may come to an assumption that we were lacking in resolve to make good use of the extensive toolkit at our disposal, to act and react properly to each and every violation of the OSCE commitments.

However, we should strive to preserve the OSCE to maintain its role and mandate as embodied in its founding document - the Helsinki Final Act, which is a tremendous task indeed. To do that, to reverse this downward trend we as participating States should recommit to the basic and fundamental principles and commitments of this Organization, and do that not only through declarations and statements, but most importantly, through our actions.

Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished colleagues,

While talking about the security crisis in the OSCE area, I would now like to turn to the security situation in the South Caucasus, which further deteriorated since the last ASRC.

On September 13-14, 2022 Azerbaijan unleashed unprovoked aggression against sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia deliberately targeting civilian infrastructures and peaceful settlements of Armenia. This has been the third large-scale offensive against Armenia since the signing of the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020. This aggression resulted in occupation of more than 150 square km of sovereign territory of Armenia and 233 casualties including among civilians and accompanied with war crimes, extrajudicial killings, horrific humiliation and torture of Armenian military personal including women.

Furthermore, last month Azerbaijan carried out a number of provocations targeting the settlements of the Gegharkuniq and Syunik provinces of Armenia (Sotq, Nrnadzor, Shikahog, Khndzoresk, Kornidzor, Tegh, Knatsakh and Khoznavar). The situation continues to remain volatile, with heavy concentration of the Azerbaijani forces and military equipment registered in the areas bordering the Syunik province.

Azerbaijani armed forces also started targeting the construction site of the metallurgical plant, resulting in the wounding of two Indian construction workers.

Along with the military provocations, threats and use of force against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan has been steadily increasing the anti-Armenian war rhetoric, hostile and hate speech, which gives us grounds to seriously question the sincerity and political will of the top leadership of Azerbaijan to achieve peace in the South Caucasus.

It is more than obvious that the use of force and military aggression is the preferred operational tactics for the Azerbaijani leadership. And the absence of robust condemnation and relevant actions in response to this aggressive posture only encourages the Azerbaijani leadership to continue its disruptive policies aimed at destabilizing the situation and creating grounds for new large-scale aggressions.

While Armenia prepares for the peace and for normalization of relations Azerbaijan prepares for war. These actions are also aimed at nullifying the efforts of the Republic of Armenia and the international partners directed at establishing peace, stability and security in the region.

Mr. Chair,

Dear colleagues,

We cannot speak about sustainable and durable peace in the South Caucasus without addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

With the war of aggression against Artsakh and its people unleashed in 2020 Azerbaijan aimed to nullify all the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the international community to find a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The war, accompanied by numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial executions of Armenian prisoners of war and cases of forced disappearances, resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan. Armenian cultural and religious heritage is being destroyed to erase all traces of the Armenian presence in the region, despite the numerous calls by specialized international organizations and also in violation of the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice.

The security situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh remains extremely tense, caused by constant military provocations and attacks on civilians by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the territories of Nagorno-Karabakh located within the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces.

In particular, since 12 December 2022 Azerbaijan has imposed an illegal blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh in a blatant violation of the international humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020.

Instead of adhering to the legally binding order of ICJ issued on February 22, 2023, to “take all necessary measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”, the authorities of Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint in the corridor on 23 April, 2023, thus openly assuming their responsibility for the more than six months’ illegal blockade of the Corridor and noncompliance with the Court’s Order.

Azerbaijan’s leadership even went further. On 15 June, Azerbaijan attempted a deliberate military provocation with the participation of the Russian peacekeepers near the Hakari bridge, located within the Lachin Corridor, where it had earlier installed an illegal checkpoint. After the failure of the attempt to advance its armed forces positions into the sovereign territory of Armenia, the Azerbaijani side completely blocked all humanitarian movement along the Lachin Corridor in both directions, including of the transport carried out by the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the International Committee of the Red Cross, with further installation of concrete barriers on the Lachin Corridor.

As a result, the supply of food, medicine and basic necessities have been completely halted. The transportation of critically ill patients, even by the International Committee of the Red Cross, is strictly restricted by Azerbaijan.

The humanitarian situation is further exacerbated by complete disruption of gas and electricity supplies, deterioration of critical infrastructure, as well as regular targeting of civilians conducting agricultural activities, in an attempt to deprive them of the means of subsistence and create unbearable conditions for life.

The most recent military provocation by Azerbaijan yesterday, on June 28, with the use of heavy artillery and combat UAVs against Nagorno-Karabakh in the area of responsibility of Russian Peacekeeping forces, resulted in the death of four servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army. This provocation, launched against the backdrop of negotiations currently being held in Washington at the level of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on normalization of relations, aims at disturbing the efforts of Armenia and international actors in the negotiating process directed at establishing peace, stability and security in the region.

Azerbaijan’s premeditated, carefully planned and executed efforts clearly demonstrate the intent to completely destroy the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part or to achieve its forced displacement which is a crime, punishable under international law.

Mr. Chairman,

The humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh is deteriorating, and the looming humanitarian catastrophe is closer with each day of the blockade of the Lachin Corridor. These actions amounting to war-crime are taking place right before the eyes of the international community, including of the OSCE, and we cannot afford another inaction, the international community cannot turn a blind eye.

Therefore, the deployment of the international fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor, as well as ensuring access of relevant UN bodies is an urgent necessity.

Furthermore, it is imperative to address the issue of the rights and security of the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh through the Baku - Stepanakert dialogue within the framework of an international mechanism, through special and urgent international attention, involvement and efforts.

In this regard, we believe that the OSCE has a role to play through the active involvement of its structures. The OSCE MG Co-Chairing countries, the OSCE mechanisms with their accumulated knowledge and expertise can and should contribute to finding solution to all the issues related to or deriving from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and addressing the core issues of the security and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Another urgent matter that the OSCE should act to address is Azerbaijan's disruptive and aggressive policy of the use of force and the threat of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, which is unacceptable under the international law and the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Final Act. It is necessary to consider imposing targeted sanctions against the Azerbaijani leadership in order to change its political calculus.

In conclusion, I reiterate the commitment of the Republic of Armenia to the peace and finding lasting resolution of the conflict and normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in pursuit of its goal to bring peace and security to the South Caucasus.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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