U.N. Security Council Demands Peace As Azerbaijan, Armenia Point Fingers Over Renewed Fighting

Washington D.C./22.09.23/Turan:    The United Nations and its key Security Council members on Thursday called for a “credible and durable” peace in Nagorno-Karabakh, as top Azerbaijani and Armenian diplomats pointed fingers at each other over renewed fighting, TURAN's US correspondent reports from the UN.

“Any renewed escalation would lead to further loss of life and human suffering and further set back internationally supported peace efforts," a senior UN official told the Security Council arguing that the wellbeing of civilians caught up in the conflict should be the “overriding priority” following renewed fighting.

The only sustainable way forward is through genuine dialogue between Azerbaijan and its Armenian population “together with full engagement in the normalization process", the UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča said, adding that the UN 'noted' Wednesday’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities, cautioning that the situation on the ground remains fluid.

“We also understand that, in a positive step, representatives of the local population and the Government of Azerbaijan met earlier today for an initial exchange,” he said.

Addressing the council, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield also called the announcements of suspending military operations "positive development", albeit right now, she daifm the situation on the ground remains dire. "And we are extremely troubled by reports of violence against civilians."

"Let me be clear," she said,  "Azerbaijan has a responsibility to ensure its forces rigorously comply with international law – including international humanitarian law rules governing the conduct of hostilities, the protection of civilians, and the humane treatment of combatants. Azerbaijan also has international obligations and commitments to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals in its territory."

Azerbaijan has publicly stated it is committed to alleviating the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and to providing access to food, shelter, medical care, as well as the restoration of electricity, gas, and water supplies. "The residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are looking to us in their time of need," Thomas-Greenfield added.

The United States continues to engage with Azerbaijani as well as Armenian leadership at the highest levels in pursuit of a permanent solution to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. And let us all work together to advance peace and justice for all.

Other Security Council members including Türkiye, France, Germany and others also urged for peace while Armenia's foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan, who called for the emergency meeting of the Security Council along with France, insisted that Baku was likely to use force against civilians again unless prevented by international community.

“The Azerbaijani social media is full of calls to find the missing children and women, to rape them, dismember them and feed them to dogs,” Mirzoyan said.

Accusing Yerevan of spreading misinformation, Azerbaijan's Jeyhun Bayramov said the talks with Nagorno-Karabakh in Yevlakh will continue, reaffirming Baku’s determination to guarantee its residents "all rights and freedoms" in line with the country’s constitution and international human rights obligations, including safeguards for ethnic minorities.

He also quoted Armenia's Prime Minister Pashinyan as saying early in the day that there is no direct threat to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, in her speech, called on Baku to "engage in good faith in discussions" on protections of the population and to "rule out resorting to force."

Russia's deputy-ambassador Dmirty Polyansky spoke about a need to "develop a gradual roadmap to integrate the population of Nagorno-Karabakh into the constitutional order of Azerbaijan, with clear guarantees of their rights and security"

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock echoed the sentiment saying that Baku and Karabakh Armenians "must return to dialogue.”

She then added abruptly:  “I want to underscore that no country should use the current situation to destabilize Armenia’s democracy.”

Alex Raufoglu