Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General For Europe, Central Asia And The Americas, Departments For Political and Peacebuilding Affairs And Peace Operations, stated at the opening of the special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue that before starting the military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan informed the Russian-Turkish Coordination Center and the Russian peacekeepers.
“We call for a credible and durable cessation of all hostilities. Any renewed escalation would lead to further loss of life and human suffering and further set back internationally supported peace efforts. The protection and essential needs of the civilian population, including their human rights, must be the overriding priority. A genuine dialogue between the government of Azerbaijan and representatives of the region, together with full engagement in the normalization process by Armenia and Azerbaijan, are the only sustainable way forward.
The developments of the past few days should be seen in the context of the broader pattern of regular ceasefire violations which have continued to persist. We note yesterday’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities, with the situation on the ground remaining 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.
Developments indicated a serious escalation in military operations with reports of Azerbaijani forces breaking through the Line of Contact. There were casualties reported, including among the civilian population as well as evacuations of some thousands of people within the region. The Russian peacekeeping force, which itself suffered casualties, documented numerous ceasefire violations.
The United Nations, which is neither present along the Line of Contact, nor in other areas under the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers, is not in a position to verify or confirm these various claims and allegations.
The Secretariat will remain in close contact with all relevant actors and the concerned parties and stands ready to support ongoing peace efforts, as needed. The Secretariat is also ready and prepared to conduct humanitarian needs assessments, if given access, and provide assistance as needed," Jenča stated.
