Armenian Side Faces Over 100 Casualties: Speech by Armenia’s Permanent Representative at the OSCE

On September 15, Armenia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Armen Papikyan, delivered a speech during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

Ambassador Papikyan provided an in-depth account to the heads and representatives of participating states regarding the large-scale aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He noted that as a result of military operations accompanied by the targeting of civilian populations and infrastructure by Azerbaijani armed forces, the Armenian side has over a hundred casualties and numerous civilians suffering from varying degrees of serious injuries.

It was highlighted that Azerbaijani armed forces, using heavy artillery and strike UAVs, targeted Armenian combat positions located in the southern and eastern directions of the Republic of Armenia's borders, peaceful settlements, and vital infrastructure, setting vast forested areas ablaze.

The Permanent Representative of Armenia at the OSCE emphasized that the invasion of Armenia's sovereign territories by the Azerbaijani armed forces is a continuation of Azerbaijan's expansionist and anti-Armenian policy that began in the 1990s, which initiated the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He added that the improper condemnation of Azerbaijan's use of force in 2020 had lit a green light for Azerbaijan to undermine efforts aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region. He stressed that appropriate and timely responses and actions from the international community could prevent manifestations of its aggressive policy and expansionist ambitions.

Papikyan pointed out that ignoring Azerbaijan's ongoing aggression and its consequences would lead to further degradation of the European security architecture and severely disrupt the fundamental principles of the organization. The Ambassador emphasized that further use of force or the threat of it would interrupt the processes aimed at establishing peace and security in the South Caucasus and resolving all issues related to and arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He underscored the urgency of resuming the peaceful process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has an international mandate.