Armenia and Azerbaijan: Int’l community must remain committed to a peaceful settlement – UN

United Nations published this video item, entitled “Armenia and Azerbaijan: Int’l community must remain committed to a peaceful settlement – UN” – below is their description.

UN senior official for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Miroslav Jenča, told the Security Council, “the international community must remain fully committed to a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and spare no effort to deescalate the current tensions, bring the parties back to the negotiating table and help them achieve peace and stability in the region.”

Jenča briefed council members today (15 Sep) in New York on recent developments in the South Caucasus.

On the evening of 12 September, the authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan reported heavy fighting on their international border. According to reports, heavy artillery, drones and large-caliber weapons were used. The exchange of fire reportedly continued through 13 and 14 September. Yesterday evening, it was announced that a cease-fire had been agreed starting at 8 PM local time. The UN welcomed this agreement and hope the ceasefire will hold.

The senior UN official for the region said that the United Nations is not in a position to verify or confirm the specifics of these reports, but “we remain deeply concerned, however, over this dangerous escalation, including its possible impact on civilians, and have urged the sides to take immediate and concrete steps to deescalate tensions.”

Jenča added that the UN Country Teams in both Armenia and Azerbaijan “maintain open channels with the authorities and stand prepared to respond to emerging humanitarian needs, if requested and as conditions allow.”

The fighting this week was the latest and the largest in a series of incidents since 2020, he said, adding that “it highlights the fact that the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to encounter serious obstacles.”

Jenča continued, “this escalation also underscores the urgent need for the parties to move forward in the ongoing process of delimitation and demarcation within the framework of mutual recognition of their territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

The UN urged the parties to “take advantage of this important mechanism as an essential step towards alleviating tensions at the border.”

In the immediate term, Jenča said, “the parties must abide by their obligation to fully implement the Trilateral statement on the ceasefire of 9 November 2020.”

The UN urged them to “return to the negotiating table and take steps towards the signing of a lasting peace treaty.”

Jenča reiterated, “it will be important that a similar unified message come from the Security Council for the parties to focus on a diplomatic solution.”

Armenian Ambassador Mher Margaryan also briefed the Council. He said, “today’s acts of aggression are in reality, nothing short of the product of an intentional decision to walk away from the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations and to opt for a military solution to the conflict.”

He added, “the very fact that the large-scale military integration was unleashed amidst an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 is a crime of global proportions in itself and should be evaluated and addressed on its own merits, but rather the lack of that.”

The Armenian Ambassador continued, “we strongly urge the members of the Security Council to come up with tangible outcome after the discussion in this emergency meeting, with strong condemnation of the unprovoked aggression of Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its forces from the southern territory of my country, demanding to refrain from any future acts of aggression against the territorial integrity of Armenia to fully comply with its international obligations of commitments including the UN Charter, Helsinki Final Act, and the trilateral statements at the highest level.”

Azerbaijani Ambassador Yashar Aliyev told the Council that his country “categorically reject the allegations made by the Representative of Armenia.”

He explained, “these allegations are full of standard set of fabrications, distortions and deceptions, demonstrates how Armenia is far from complying with its international obligations, and promoting peace stability and cooperation in our region.”

Ambassador Aliyev reiterated his country’s call on the international community to “persuade Armenia to reciprocate the offer of Azerbaijan, cease its political and military provocations, abandon its aggressive rhetoric and actions and engage in good faith in direct negotiations to find peaceful, democratic diplomatic solutions to all issues pertaining to interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

United Nations YouTube Channel

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