Azerbaijan's Actions Reveal Its Ultimate Goal: Ethnic Cleansing of Indigenous Population of Nagorno-Karabakh, Says Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia

On May 23, Vahe Gevorgyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, participated and delivered a speech at the open discussion of the UN Security Council on the agenda item “Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts,” chaired by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset. Reports were presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

In his speech, the Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of the full and unconditional implementation of the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, highlighting the key role of the UN Security Council in ensuring the fulfillment of obligations arising from international humanitarian law. Addressing the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has now lasted over six months, Vahe Gevorgyan noted that despite the legally binding ruling of the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijani authorities have placed a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, thus bearing responsibility for the illegal blockade and non-compliance with the court’s ruling.

The Deputy Minister underscored that Azerbaijan continuously obstructs actions aimed at meeting the vital needs of the affected population from the conflict, and thus far, it has not been possible to guarantee the involvement of the UN and its agencies in Nagorno-Karabakh. It was emphasized that all these illegal actions, accompanied by policies of deepening hatred towards Armenians and others, reveal Azerbaijan’s genocidal intentions and its ultimate goal of complete ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Deputy Minister expressed hope that the UN Security Council, as the primary body responsible for international peace and security, would continue to be involved in this matter in accordance with its mandate, guaranteeing the dignity, safety, and fundamental human rights of the civilian population.