Russian Federation ready to promote Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. The Russian Federation continues to play a leading role in the process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and is more interested than anyone else in the speedy resolution of the crisis in the region, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky 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.
He also noted that the absolute priority now is to prevent the resumption of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and bring the situation back to the political and diplomatic field.
According to Polyansky, the Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation should be accompanied by reliable and clear guarantees of security and respect for the rights of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh on the basis of universally recognized international principles.
Polyansky also said that the Russian Federation expects that contacts between representatives of Baku and Stepanakert will be effective and will allow to immediately launch measures to rectify the humanitarian crisis in the region.
"We will contribute to this in every possible way. A step-by-step roadmap for the integration of the Karabakh people into the legal field of Azerbaijan with firm guarantees of their rights and security must be worked out. We will actively support these processes through the Russian peacekeeping contingent. The security and rights of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians are of key importance," he emphasized.
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 on Thursday for "re-integration" talks in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh. -0-
