Azerbaijan Blocks Humanitarian Access to Nagorno-Karabakh, Including for UN Missions: Deputy Foreign Minister

On March 17, Deputy Foreign Minister Artak Apitonian delivered a speech during the high-level segment of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). This year's forum is dedicated to the sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to the actions aimed at implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the UNECE region.

In his speech, Artak Apitonian emphasized that from the very beginning of the pandemic, Armenia has been one of the advocates for the consolidation of international efforts and the deepening of cooperation, underlining the role of the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordinating the fight against the pandemic. Armenia has joined several international initiatives, including the COVAX program, which can promote deepening cooperation among countries at all levels.

The Deputy Minister noted that at the national level, the Armenian government has implemented more than 20 programs aimed at mitigating the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic, providing assistance to vulnerable groups in society, and supporting businesses affected by the pandemic.

Artak Apitonian referred to the large-scale military aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan on September 27, 2020, which created new humanitarian challenges both in Armenia and in Artsakh, significantly increasing the pressure on socio-economic and health systems that were already overloaded due to the pandemic.

He pointed out that despite its own international commitments, Azerbaijan is blocking humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh, including for UN humanitarian missions, which has negative consequences for the prevention of the spread of the pandemic and overcoming its effects in Artsakh.

This policy pursued by Azerbaijan also contradicts the provisions of the recently adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2565, which demands the unhindered access of humanitarian and medical personnel to conflict zones to facilitate vaccinations against COVID-19.

Concluding his speech, Artak Apitonian stated that Armenia will continue to support effective and collaborative multilateral institutions that play a crucial role in the sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.