On July 20, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan participated in the session of the Special Permanent Council of the OSCE, which was invited at the request of Armenia. Before the start of the session, Minister Mirzoyan had a short meeting with Igor Dundev, Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council.

Minister Mirzoyan made a speech at the meeting, which is presented below. Representatives of the EU and ten other countries also spoke, reaffirming the need to restore free and safe movement through the Lachine Corridor.

"I would like to thank the Chairmanship of North Macedonia in the OSCE for convening this special session of the Permanent Council. This is the second time I have addressed this respectable structure, and this is the second time that I have made a speech here about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh due to Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor. I want to draw your attention to the events that have occurred since my last speech at a special session of the Permanent Council.

On February 22, the International Court of Justice issued a legally binding decision against Azerbaijan, ordering it to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles, and cargo through the Lachin Corridor.

Strongly opposing this decision, on April 23, Azerbaijan illegally installed a checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor, claiming it was implementing the Court's decision. Moreover, on June 15, Azerbaijan closed the Lachin Corridor, prohibiting any kind, and even humanitarian, access to Nagorno-Karabakh, including the International Committee of the Red Cross.

On July 6, the International Court of Justice, in its decision, reaffirmed Azerbaijan's internationally established legal obligation to take all measures at its disposal to ensure the uninterrupted movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor, thus immediately suspending the operation of its checkpoint, as it undeniably obstructs the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. The rights defined by the

Dear colleagues, in parallel with this speech, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world, the Lachin Corridor, remains blocked by Azerbaijan. More than 7 months after this illegal blockade, the situation on the ground is rapidly deteriorating. Our delegation in the OSCE regularly informs the Permanent Council about the situation on the ground; therefore, I will not focus too much on the details but summarize the main points.

From a humanitarian point of view, energy and food security problems are more urgent, as well as disruption of the proper functioning of the health system. I want to present you with some facts and figures to help you better understand the situation.

Related to energy security

Since January 9, Azerbaijan has interrupted the electricity supply through the only high-voltage power line between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. There are six-hour blackouts daily; there is a 48% reduction in electricity consumption and the overexploitation of local electricity generation and supply systems.

Starting from 2022, From December 13, Azerbaijan regularly, and in 2023. since March 21, the gas supply from Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh has been constantly interrupted, deepening the energy and humanitarian crisis.
Due to the decreasing availability of fuel and other essential supplies and the complete suspension of supplies from Armenia, almost all agricultural activities and other branches of the economy have been stopped.

Moreover, the transport system is also paralyzed. Public transport, including inter-community transport, will cease to operate in a few days, and private means of transportation have been idle for a long time. Due to the acute fuel shortage, only 2 buses operate in Stepanakert, serving a population of about 60,000.

Linked to food security

The suspension of all humanitarian supplies since June 15 and the gradual depletion of limited domestic reserves have led to deepening food shortages and store closures. Before the blockade, about 90 percent of the food consumed was imported from Armenia. Thus, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh receive less than 400 tons of essential goods daily.

Furthermore, through the use of force and the threat of force, Azerbaijan continues to prevent agricultural activities on nearly 10,000 hectares of land adjacent to the contact line, constituting a significant portion of the total cultivated land.

As a result, today, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the brink of starvation and starvation. The illegal blockade has also led to the violation of other fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, including:
The right to receive medical care, as the lack of fuel also affects the functioning of the health system, unable to organize even emergency transport of patients to local hospitals. Daily power outages and fuel shortages have seriously affected the operation of medical equipment, leading to a decrease in the volume and quality of health services.

The growing need for medicines, medical supplies, and hygiene items, accompanied by the ban on transporting patients needing medical care to Armenia, is an increasing threat to people's lives and health.

About 2,000 pregnant women, 30,000 children, 20,000 older adults, and 9,000 people with disabilities struggle to survive malnutrition due to a lack of basic food and vitamins.

People with chronic diseases, 4,678 of them with diabetes and 8,450 with blood circulation diseases, are almost deprived of receiving necessary medication.

Pharmacy windows are empty, making providing even the necessary first aid medicine impossible.

Finally, social and educational rights are also violated as a result of the blockade due to the disruption of educational institutions and social services.

We cannot remain silent and indifferent in this humanitarian disaster but must act decisively and without delay to avert the impending disaster.

We must clearly state and record that these actions, regardless of who they are, are a gross violation of international humanitarian law and a violation of the Geneva Conventions, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention. States have an indisputable obligation to ensure "the free movement of essential food, clothing, and medicine for children under 15 years of age, pregnant women and new-borns" and to "allow the free movement of medical supplies and hospital supplies for civilians."

These intentional actions of Azerbaijan cannot be described as illegal and inhumane. They violate fundamental human rights and people's dignity, aim to create unbearable living conditions, and subject Nagorno Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.

I want to address the political and security dimension and reaffirm that the Armenian side is committed to continuing its efforts to normalize relations and start a new era of peace in our region.

And taking advantage of this opportunity, I emphasize the importance of negotiations carried out with the mediation and assistance of our partners. We appreciate their efforts and commitment to the peace agenda and a better future for our region.

We believe sustainable peace in the region is possible, and it will be possible if the parties show maximum willingness to address the root causes of the conflict. In this regard, the issue of the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh is critical.

As the RA Prime Minister recently announced, we are ready to recognize Azerbaijan's 86,600 sq km area, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh, but with the understanding that the issue of the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed under the international mechanism, through the Stepanakert-Baku dialogue. The recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should not and cannot be misinterpreted and used as a privilege for ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

I can only detail the ongoing discussions for apparent reasons. I want to reiterate our willingness to engage in good faith in finding solutions to highly complex and sensitive issues and situations.

One of the most critical issues in these negotiations concerns the mutual recognition of the existing interstate borders. 1991 According to the Alma-Ata Declaration, the administrative boundaries of the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan were recognized as interstate borders.

Armenia favors having a clear borderline to avoid any territorial claims in the future and to exclude the possibility of materializing these claims through force. To avoid further ambiguity, we suggest using the most recent maps available to demarcate interstate boundaries.

We deeply regret that leaving a severe ambiguity in this matter is precisely what the leadership of Azerbaijan intends and strives for.

Moreover, the establishment of peace and security also requires the implementation of specific confidence-building measures. For this purpose, we proposed to create a demilitarized zone on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We offer to move the forces to the border line defined by the maps of the USSR General Staff of 1975 and start discussing the conditions for creating the mentioned demilitarized zone or the withdrawal of the forces.
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Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani side still hesitates to get involved in these discussions, and the Armenian side's written proposal to Azerbaijan about the mechanisms more than a year ago has yet to be considered.

Another issue on the agenda of the negotiations is related to the unblocking of regional transport and economic connections. Being a landlocked country and having closed borders with two of our four neighbors, Armenia has a strong interest in promoting that agenda, clearly realizing that all communication channels must operate based on countries' sovereignty and national jurisdiction and by the principles of equality and reciprocity. The progress recorded in this matter in the last three years gives us some optimism in pursuing the "Armenian Crossroads" vision, as we call it.

At the same time, we are witnessing that, parallel to conducting negotiations on the normalization of relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan is carrying out consistent actions that lead to the deterioration of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and neighboring areas. In his May 28 speech, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev publicly admitted his true intentions and reluctance to adequately address the issue of the rights and security guarantees of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

I want to address some messages from his speech.

"The border checkpoint installed on the border on April 23 should be a lesson for the Armenians living in the Karabakh region today."
"We are going to take the last step we have planned, and that step will be taken, I have no doubt about it. I am telling them again from here, from the land of Lachin, which they have been exploiting for many years and engaged in illegal settlement, that their book is closed."
"My representative went and had the first meeting with them, then we invited them to Baku to negotiate. They refused to do so. After that, we invited them to Baku for the second time, that is, the representatives of the Armenian minority living in Karabakh. They refused that too. There will be no third invitation. Either they will hang their heads and come on their own, or now everything will develop differently."
These statements, along with Azerbaijan's non-implementation of the legally binding decision of the International Court of Justice with various false arguments and the violation of the obligations assumed by the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020, reveal and demonstrate the proper attitude and position of the Azerbaijani leadership towards the issues related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and arising from it. Azerbaijan's statements and actions equally testify to the lack of commitment to international law and the desire to heed the international community's calls.

Mr. President, I would like to address Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees held in Azerbaijan after the 44-day war.

Azerbaijan refuses to return all Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages. According to information confirmed by Azerbaijan, 33 people, including three civilians, are still being held hostage in Baku. Moreover, on May 26, 2023, after the Brussels-Moscow meetings, two more servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia, carrying supplies and water to combat positions, were kidnapped by an armed unit of Azerbaijan that illegally crossed the state border of Armenia. On July 7, they were sentenced to 11.5 years in prison.

It is another violation of international humanitarian law and Azerbaijan's tripartite declaration of November 9.

The OSCE, with its mandate-authorized structures, has been mediating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations since the early 1990s. Unfortunately, the use of force and wartime aggression seriously affected those efforts.

Although Azerbaijan mistakenly claims that Nagorno-Karabakh is now an internal issue, the humanitarian disaster created by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh shows that no Armenian will survive in Nagorno-Karabakh without a viable international mechanism.

Although negotiations with Azerbaijan continue, the further deterioration of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh threatens to damage the ongoing political process seriously. Thus, all partners interested in peace and stability in the South Caucasus should take explicit action. The situation is more than superficial. Putting pressure on Azerbaijan to open the Lachine Corridor will significantly contribute to the peace prospects of our region.

Concluding my speech, I want to warn again that the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh is worsening hour by hour. The immediate attention of the international community is required to assess the current situation on the ground. Sending a needs assessment mission to Nagorno-Karabakh by relevant international organizations and providing humanitarian aid to the affected population is of utmost importance.

Armenia expects Azerbaijan to restore the people of the Lachin Corridor, the free movement and safety of goods, by previously reached agreements, to implement the decision of the International Court of Justice adopted on February 23, 2023, and reaffirmed on July 6, to ensure humanitarian access to Nagorno Karabakh and to cooperate with relevant international organizations, in particular, the structures of the United Nations, to resolve all unresolved issues related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict or arising from it exclusively by peaceful means. Thanks for your attention.

Summary speech

I want to thank all the delegations that, a little while ago, spoke clearly and unequivocally about the inadmissibility of the dire humanitarian situation created by the illegal blockade of the Lachine Corridor.

Again, Let me emphasize that the Nagorno-Karabakh situation is catastrophic and may have unpredictable consequences. We are no longer talking about an impending crisis; we are talking about an ongoing humanitarian disaster. Medieval practices must end. This cannot continue if we take values and principles seriously.

The international community, in general, and the OSCE, in particular, cannot remain silent because the lives of 120,000 people are at risk.

The siege of Nagorno-Karabakh and the blockade of the Lachin Corridor must be lifted immediately, and the issues related to and arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be properly and conscientiously addressed. It will pave the way for the promotion of negotiations on the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and will bring the long-awaited peace to the region.

Silence, indifference, and inaction are no longer an option. International mechanisms must respond quickly to resolve such situations within their mandated actions and existing tools."