ArmInfo.OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, held separate meetings yesterday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
According to the source, Chairman Osmani raised his deep concerns over yesterday's military operations in the region and the danger these pose to the affected civilian population. While calling for immediate de-escalation, he again voiced his concerns over the severe consequences for the conflict- affected population, especially on vulnerable groups. He emphasized that humanitarian considerations must prevail and that humanitarian needs of the local people must be met.
He underscored that the use of force to resolve disputes was completely and always unacceptable and that sustained, constructive dialogue in good faith was the only path toward sustainable peace. The Chairman reiterated his readiness for personal and active engagement and emphasized that the OSCE stood ready to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan on their path to peace. He noted that the OSCE retained the relevant experience, expertise, and tools to facilitate dialogue, build trust and implement relevant agreements that support normalizing relations between the parties.
On September 19, at around 13:00, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces began shelling the suburbs of Stepanakert and other cities of Nagorno-Karabakh using artillery and UAVs. Official Baku announced the start of "local anti-terrorism measures," claiming that it strikes using high-precision weapons only against military targets.
According to the Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, about 7 thousand people were evacuated from 16 communities that were the target of aggression of the Azerbaijani armed forces. In particular, these are residents of Askeran, Martakert, Martuni and Shusha regions. According to him, as a result of the ongoing full-scale terrorist attack by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh, there are 32 victims, including 7 civilians. The number of wounded exceeds 200 people.