Armenia Must Take Effective Measures: Artsakh National Assembly Issues Statement

The National Assembly of Artsakh has issued a statement regarding the humanitarian disaster threatening the people of the Republic of Artsakh. The statement specifically notes:

“In violation of all norms of international law, as well as the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, which called for the cessation of all military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh, a group of so-called environmentalists and journalists has again blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway as of December 12, which continues to this day. These provocative actions, directly organized by the official Baku, aim to depopulate Artsakh and implement premeditated plans to forcibly incorporate it into Azerbaijan. Since November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan has illegally seized many territories of the Republic of Artsakh, regularly shelling Armenian settlements, killing and terrorizing the civilian population, and severely disrupting their normal livelihoods. The demands and actions of the so-called environmentalists are devoid of substantiated justifications, as no ecological threat has been recorded by the Republic of Artsakh to the neighboring Azerbaijani territories and the population living there over the past 30 years, which speaks to the responsible nature of the Republic of Artsakh as a subject that respects the norms of international law.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh states that the actions of the Azerbaijani military-political authorities constitute a gross violation of the agreements reached, international obligations, and the principles and norms of international law, posing a threat of humanitarian crisis to Artsakh, bringing our entire population to the brink of genocide.

The authorities of the Republic of Armenia are obliged to take concrete and effective measures to restore uninterrupted land communication between the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia and to protect the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Artsakh.

We expect the Russian Federation, as a party to the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and as a guarantor of peace and stability in the region, to take immediate measures to curb Azerbaijan's expansionist aspirations, which threaten the existence of the Armenian population of Artsakh and their right to live on their ancestral land, as well as the credibility of the Russian peacekeeping mission.

We call on international organizations and UN member states to condemn Azerbaijan's genocidal policies and to urgently convene a meeting of the UN Security Council to implement practical measures for prevention.

We appeal to our compatriots in Armenia and the Diaspora to use all available opportunities to raise awareness on various platforms about the humanitarian disaster created by Azerbaijan in Artsakh, to stand up for the rights of the people of Artsakh, and to be prepared to take necessary actions in this direction.

Dear compatriots, Our struggle is ongoing, and our will to live on our native land is unwavering.

December 13, 2022, Stepanakert.