Armenian Foreign Ministry Comments on UN Mission's Visit to Artsakh

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has commented on the visit of a delegation led by the UN Resident Coordinator to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in Azerbaijan.

Question: A group from the UN visited Artsakh on October 2, and their press release was extremely concerning. How do you comment on this?

Answer: Armenia has accepted with deep concern and disappointment the information regarding the visit of the UN Resident Coordinator's delegation to Artsakh and the press release issued regarding its 'results.'

The Armenian Foreign Minister raised the issue during a meeting on October 2 with the heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia and representatives of international organizations.

First, it is important to note that the visit by the UN Resident Coordinator's delegation on October 2 cannot be considered an inter-agency fact-finding mission and has no relation to the expectations of the Armenian side and the international community.

Moreover, the delegation's visit took place only after the ethnic cleansing resulted in Artsakh being entirely deprived of its indigenous Armenian population. As an objective assessment, the UN delegation could have merely recorded the fact of the depopulation of Artsakh, witnessing how the people of Artsakh were forced to leave their native homes, the graves of their relatives, and their centuries-old cultural and religious heritage.

It should be reminded that since the blockage of the Lachin Corridor, the Armenian side has been engaged with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other UN Secretariat departments, calling for the deployment of a UN inter-agency fact-finding mission to assess the humanitarian and human rights situation arising from the blockade of Artsakh and to respond to the humanitarian needs of the population.

This issue has been raised multiple times in meetings with the UN Secretary-General. Numerous international human rights organizations, independent lawyers, and genocide experts have expressed concern over the existential threats facing the people of Artsakh, highlighting the risks of crimes against humanity.

The only humanitarian organization present in Artsakh, the International Committee of the Red Cross, has expressed concern in its report that it is unable to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin Corridor.

All these reports and assessments, which also indicate a blatant disregard of the UN's stated commitment to 'leave no one behind,' illustrate the seriousness of the situation, which has essentially been overlooked by the UN.

The press release issued after the visit is highly biased and does not reflect the situation on the ground; it makes no reference to the numerous casualties and injuries resulting from Azerbaijan's large-scale offensive, the targeting of civilian infrastructure, the blockade of the Lachin Corridor lasting over 9 months, and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, as well as the abduction of citizens by Azerbaijani special services near the unlawful checkpoint at the Hakari Bridge and other facts known to international partners.

The visit by the UN Resident Coordinator's delegation to Azerbaijan has been used by Azerbaijan to promote its propaganda narratives and to legitimize the large-scale aggression against Artsakh and its consequences.

Armenia expects a clear response from the UN regarding the ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, as well as the gross violations of the fundamental human rights of the people of Artsakh in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter.