Tuesday, September 12 2023 20:52

ArmInfo.On September 12, Vahe Gevorgyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia,  participated and delivered remarks at the OSCE Special Permanent  Council meeting in Vienna convened at the initiative of Armenia.  

As the pres service of the RA MFA reports, the Deputy Foreign Minister  drew the attention of the representatives of the OSCE participating  states to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh  as a result of Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor  for  9 months now, as well as the actions aimed at escalating  the  security situation by the Azerbaijani armed forces along the  Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Vahe Gevorgyan emphasized that Azerbaijan's inhumane blockade of the  120,000 Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the complete  cessation of humanitarian supplies, accompanied by the deliberate  disruption of key infrastructures - electricity and gas supplies, led  to an extreme humanitarian crisis, with the final goal of complete  ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of the wider picture of  the decades-long incitement of hatred against Armenians, policy of  use of force and threat of force, grave violations of international  humanitarian law and human rights law - all constituting warning  signs of genocidal intent",  noted Vahe Gevorgyan.

The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that Azerbaijan should heed  the calls of the international community and unconditionally  implement  the Order of the International Court of Justice of 2023,  adopted on 23 February and reaffirmed on 6 July, to end the illegal  blockade of the Lachin Corridor and ensure the uninterrupted movement  of people, vehicles and cargo between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in  both directions.

Vahe Gevorgyan highlighted the urgent need for unimpeded delivery of  humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh and engagement with pertinent  international organizations on the ground.

Touching upon the security situation in the region, the Deputy  Foreign Minister criticized the movements and build-up of personnel,  offensive hardware and military equipment carried out by Azerbaijan  along the border with Armenia and the line of contact with  Nagorno-Karabakh. He stressed that these actions are nothing less  than a threat to use force, which indicates that Azerbaijan is  preparing for a new military attack on Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"While Armenia continues to stay committed to the settlement of all  outstanding issues with Azerbaijan purely through political and  diplomatic means, we expect the international community and our  partners to undertake all the efforts and employ the means at their  disposal to prevent another aggression in our region", emphasized  Vahe Gevorgyan.

The Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated Armenia's commitment to  achieving stability and lasting peace in the region and emphasized  that this can only be accomplished under conditions which exclude the  use or threat of force and mass violations of fundamental human  rights.

The ultimate importance of international efforts to safeguard the  rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and a strong  international mechanism for the dialogue between Stepanakert and  Baku, which would ensure tangible outcomes during the process was  underscored in remarks.