Preventing the Resumption of Hostilities is a Priority, Says Russian Representative at the UN

Despite the complex situation, the Russian peacekeeping forces continue to diligently carry out their mission and do everything possible to protect the civilian population. This was stated by Dmitry Polyansky, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN.

“Recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh have resulted not only in civilian casualties but also in the deaths of Russian peacekeepers,” he said, noting that nearly 5,000 people have been evacuated from the most dangerous areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, including about 1,000 children, with shelters and hot meals provided for them.

“With the active mediation of the Russian peacekeeping forces, an agreement was reached on September 20 to fully cease hostilities, and negotiations commenced on September 21 between representatives of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan,” Polyansky informed participants at the UN Security Council meeting.

According to the Russian representative, it is now a priority to prevent the resumption of hostilities, and above all, Russia is interested in the situation being resolved as quickly as possible. For this purpose, the President of Russia has also held discussions with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We are convinced that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be accompanied by clear and unequivocal guarantees of security and respect for human rights for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh based on international principles,” Polyansky stated, recalling that at the EU summits, Armenia recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

The Russian representative added that the topic of guaranteeing the rights and security of the Armenian population of Karabakh was unfortunately omitted from the declarations adopted as a result of these summit meetings.

According to him, a roadmap must now be developed for integrating the population of Nagorno-Karabakh into Azerbaijan's constitutional order, clearly guaranteeing their rights and security. This process will be actively supported by Russian peacekeepers.

The Deputy Representative of Russia at the UN emphasized that the trilateral declarations adopted in 2020 and 2022 provide a legal basis for the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and are the only viable solution to ensure stability in the South Caucasus.