Friday, September 22 2023 10:07

ArmInfo.On September 20, a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council was convened at the  initiative of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the OSCE. Permanent Representative of Armenia to the OSCE, Ambassador Armen Papikyan delivered remarks entitled "The large-scale aggression unleashed by  Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh", the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the OSCE, Armenian Foreign Ministry reports.

In his remarks, Armen Papikyan particularly noted that on September  19, the armed forces of Azerbaijan unleashed another large-scale,  military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh in blatant violation of  international law and the provisions of 9 November, 2020 Trilateral  Statement on the cessation of hostilities.

Armen Papikyan presented the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh as a  result of another large-scale aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan. He  particularly noted that the armed forces of Azerbaijan deliberately  shelled the capital city Stepanakert and other peaceful settlements  with heavy artillery, aviation and combat UAVs, as well as targeted  civil infrastructures, which led to casualties and injuries among the  civilian population.

The Ambassador stressed that Azerbaijan pursues one goal - to subject  the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing through the  use of force, to deprive the people of Nagorno-Karabakh of their  right to live freely and in dignity in their own homeland.  Armen  Papikyan emphasized that the 10 month long illegal blockade of the  Lachin Corridor and using starvation as a method of warfare is an  integral part of the systematic policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by  Azerbaijan.

Armen Papikyan emphasized the imperative of the international  community's immediate and targeted intervention and the introduction  of international mechanisms to ensure the rights and security of the  people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Ambassador expressed appreciation to those international partners  who unequivocally condemned the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan  against Nagorno- Karabakh, adding at the same time that statements  are no longer enough and it is necessary to take active steps against  Azerbaijan, including targeted sanctions.  Armen Papikyan called on  the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and the Secretariat to monitor the  developments and consistently employ all the tools at the disposal of  the OSCE.

On September 19, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an anti-terrorist  operation, undertook another act of aggression against Artsakh. As a  result of enemy aggression, hundreds of Artsakh residents were  injured, more than 200 were reported killed, including civilians,  more than 400 were wounded, and another 7,000 were evacuated. On  September 20, Artsakh fell. Azerbaijan began the forcible subjugation  of the NKR.  Thousands of Artsakh civilians are now at the deployment  point of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Ivanyan. There are  reports that Azerbaijan is not allowing them to be evacuated to  Armenia.