French Foreign Minister says Azerbaijan responsible for population of Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan bears full responsibility for the fate of the ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said at an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Thursday, convened at the request of France and Armenia in connection with the large-scale military aggression of Azerbaijan against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"No one is threatening the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. But what is at stake? It is the ability of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to continue to live there under conditions of respect for their rights, their history, their culture. Such a guarantee cannot exist when the stronger pressures the weaker. Nagorno-Karabakh has been subject to a blockade for many months, which prevents the population from receiving food, medicine, electricity," Colonna said.
She noted that France has taken note of what Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has stated - the desire to live in peace with Armenians and preserve their rights.
"These words oblige Azerbaijan, which today bears responsibility for the plight of the population, to come to a peaceful solution through negotiations, to provide tangible guarantees now, to participate in good faith in the discussions, excluding any use of force or threat of force and agree that the dialogue will be about ensuring rights and guarantees with the provision of the international community," she emphasized.
"There is an urgent and unconditional need for the Lachin corridor to operate in accordance with the ICC ruling. An international humanitarian presence in Nagorno-Karabakh must be accepted. There can be no solution without these guarantees," the French Foreign Minister said.
Colonna said Paris was drawing the attention of the Security Council to the gravity of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and, not for the first time, calling for mobilization to avoid a human tragedy and a worsening of the crisis that threatens to destabilize the South Caucasus.
Recent events show that we cannot sit idly by and turn our eyes away from what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh, as otherwise we will become accomplices in the mass exodus of civilians," she said.
"The Security Council should actively contribute to the resolution of the crisis by actively supporting the parameters of a negotiated solution between Baku and the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. There must be a clear determination to ensure respect for international law everywhere and there is a constant need to remain vigilant in the face of attempts to drag Armenia into these tragic events and use this as a pretext to question its territorial integrity," the French Foreign Minister said."
On September 19 Azerbaijan launched an "anti-terror" operation in the region demanding that Karabakh's forces raise a white flag, disband their armed forces and dissolve their "illegal regime".
After 24-hour fierce fighting the ethnic Armenian authorities in Stepanakert gave in. Under the terms of the truce, outlined by Azerbaijan and the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the ground, Karabakh armed forces must commit to being completely disbanded as well as disarmed.
According to the Nagorno-Karabakh human rights defender’s office, more than 10 thousand people have been evacuated from the communities seized by Azerbaijanis, several thousand cannot find their missing relatives -women, children and elderly people.
As of 21:30 September 20, the number of casualties stood at 200, including children, the number of wounded at more than 400.
Azerbaijani officials and Karabakh's Armenian representatives had the first meeting today for "re-integration" talks in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh. -0-
