Author: Mihran Shahzadeyan
Ph.D., Political Scientist
On 20.12.2022 the UN Security Council considered the issue of Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin humanitarian corridor. On December 11 a group of Azerbaijanis calling themselves "environmentalists" blocked the highway which deprived the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh Republic) of communication with Armenia and the outside world. It was noted that the transport connection of several villages with Stepanakert was also interrupted and the gas supply to Nagorno-Karabakh was stopped for several days. (https://press.un.org/en/2022/sc15154.doc.htm).
In the statements of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, in numerous publications of various mass media, facts are given that the closure of the Lachin corridor is the result of a well-planned action by the Azerbaijani authorities to create a large-scale humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. Among these so-called "environmental paratroopers" there were many special forces, police and military personnel. Some of them are employees of the state structures of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. It was noted that, apparently, there are also representatives of the Azerbaijani special services there. https://novostink.ru/novosti-nkr/zpch-arcaha-gumanitarnye-posledstviya-blokady-lachinskogo-koridora / Members of the terrorist organization "Gray Wolves" were seen among those blocking the road.
In the cold winter As a result of the blockade about 1,100 armenian civilians including women, the elderly and 270 children are currently in the Lachin corridor unable to return to their homes and to their families. Classes in many schools were suspended due to the termination of the gas supply, heating of residential buildings was stopped. The work of medical and other vital institutions heated by gas has been disrupted. It has become impossible to transport patients in critical condition for urgent treatment and hospitalization to the republican medical centers of the Republic of Armenia, as a result of which fatal cases occur.
According to the Ombudsman of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh Republic) Gegham Stepanyan (https://news.am/rus/news/735113.html) the blockade of Artsakh is not an isolated episode but should be considered as part of a large-scale and systematic policy of Azerbaijan aimed at the complete expulsion of the people of Artsakh from their native land. Since the establishment of the ceasefire regime guaranteed by the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, repeated similar threats and provocations from the Azerbaijani side have been multiple reported. Over the past two years various infrastructures of Artsakh have been repeatedly attacked in order to terrorize and intimidate people, the entire population was left without gas and water supply for several weeks. As a result of the shelling of rural residents seasonal agricultural work was disrupted, cyber attacks were carried out on the state information sources of Artsakh, disinformation was spread to sow panic among the population of Artsakh.
At a meeting of the Security Council Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Central Asia and America MIROSLAV JENČA noted that tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and around the areas under the control of the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation have not eased and since December 12 reports have been received about the closure of the Lachin corridor, a vital artery for people in this area. He stressed that it is extremely important that those in need are allowed to move freely and have access to basic services.
NATHALIE BROADHURST ESTIVAL (France) stated that the barrier of the corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh isolates the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and has humanitarian consequences that worsen every day. She called for the unconditional restoration of traffic and supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh. The commitments made in the trilateral ceasefire declaration of November 9, 2020 must be fulfilled and the safe movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin corridor must be guaranteed. She also called for immediate, free and unhindered access of humanitarian organizations and UN agencies, especially the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.
ROBERT A. WOOD (USA) stated that the obstacle to the use of the Lachin corridor hinders the peace process and undermines the credibility of the international community. He called on Azerbaijan and others responsible for the security of the corridor to restore free movement including for humanitarian and commercial purposes. He stressed that any attempts to disable basic services are unacceptable. He confirmed his country's readiness to promote dialogue on a bilateral, trilateral basis and in coordination with the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
EVSTIGNEEVA ANNA M. (The Russian Federation) expressed concern about the blocking of the Lachin corridor which provides a link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, she said that it is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. Her country expects that a full-fledged transport corridor will be restored "in the very near future."
JAMES KARIUKI (United Kingdom) noted that his country is deeply concerned about the recent closure of the Lachin corridor and called for its immediate reopening, as this is the only way to deliver essential items to the region its closure increases the likelihood of serious humanitarian consequences, especially in winter. Urgent priority must be given to the unhindered return of civilians stranded by the blockade. He stressed that only in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter can a lasting peace be achieved.
JAYNE JEPKORIR TOROITICH (Kenya) expressing concern over reports of ongoing blockades along the Lachin Corridor, called on all parties to de-escalate current tensions and cooperate in ensuring freedom and security of movement along the corridor. It is necessary to refrain from misinformation and false information which can cause panic among the population and undermine efforts to contain the situation and restore calm and mutual understanding.
JUAN GOMEZ ROBLEDO VERDUSCO (Mexico) saying that his country is following with concern the tensions related to the situation in the Lachin corridor and the potential humanitarian consequences of blocking traffic called for free movement in accordance with the tripartite Ceasefire Declaration of November 9, 2020. He stressed that international law, in particular international humanitarian law, must be respected.
MONA JUUL ( Norway ) She noted that the blocking of the Corridor has already led to serious humanitarian consequences and the interruption of the supply of medicines and evacuation. She stressed that Azerbaijan must guarantee safe movement and added that the international community cannot simply "wait out the storm" in the hope that it will pass.
KHALILAH HACKMAN ( (Ghana) called for the rejection of unilateral actions and inflammatory rhetoric, to give priority to the humanitarian interests of the civilian population. Any blocking of the Lachin corridor must be resolved urgently to ensure the smooth and safe movement of all people.
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Ireland) called on the Council to do everything possible to prevent another man-made disaster that has arisen before his eyes. Without the free movement of people, goods, food and medicines, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh will surely face a humanitarian crisis this winter. Thus, Azerbaijan must immediately and unconditionally restore freedom and security of movement along the corridor in accordance with the trilateral Ceasefire Statement of November 9, 2020. He confirmed that his country supports the international format of the OSCE Minsk Group to achieve this goal and the active participation of the European Union.
EDVIG KUMBI MISSAMBO (Gabon) expressed concern about the closure of the Lachin corridor, which could lead to a humanitarian crisis. The right of movement along the corridor should be guaranteed, she stressed, stressing the importance of learning lessons from the large-scale September clashes and calling on all parties to refrain from provocative rhetoric and comply with the ceasefire agreement.
RAVINDRA RAGUTTAHALLI (India), Chairman of the Council in December, spoke on behalf of India, stating that the blockade of the Lachin corridor, which is reported, may adversely affect the supply of essential items such as food and medicine to Nagorno-Karabakh. This is alarming, because it can provoke a humanitarian crisis. He joined the Secretary-General in calling for de-escalation of tensions and ensuring freedom and security of movement along the corridor in accordance with previously reached agreements.
RONALDO COSTA FILHO (Brazil) expressed concern about reports of restrictions on freedom of movement in the Lachin corridor. Any obstacle threatens the well-being of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and threatens the reconciliation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a conflict that has already cost thousands of human lives, he stressed. It is necessary to refrain from actions that may be characterized by a violation of the terms of the trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020.
It should be pointed out that the overwhelming majority of the speakers did not consider actions to close the humanitarian corridor in connection with certain environmental problems at all, fully understanding their inconsistency, and Russia and Albania indicated that all issues related to the environment should be resolved through negotiations to find mutually agreed solutions.
MHER MARGARYAN (Armenia) stated that the alarming situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is close to turning into a humanitarian catastrophe. Despite the efforts of the peacekeeping forces on the ground, the ongoing blockade is not an isolated case, but another manifestation of systematic violence used by the Azerbaijani authorities for ethnic cleansing of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. He added that if Azerbaijan is interested in an independent assessment of the environmental situation in the area, it would be possible to consider deploying a UN fact-finding mission. In addition, Azerbaijan continues to ignore the Decision of the International Court of Justice on Interim Measures issued in accordance with the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination against Azerbaijan in December 2021 regarding humanitarian obligations towards Armenian prisoners of war. The incessant provocations and aggressive actions of Azerbaijan have shown that without harsh measures of responsibility, including the application of sanctions, this country will continue to test the steadfastness and determination of the international community and the Council.
Aware of the deep disagreements between the Council members related to the ongoing major crisis in Europe, he said that the growing energy problems mean that some members of the international community prefer to work more closely with a hydrocarbon exporting state such as Azerbaijan. However, such interaction should not jeopardize the principles of justice, humanity, dignity and freedom and cannot be carried out at the expense of the basic human rights and physical security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. He called on the Council to take measures to demand that Azerbaijan fully comply with the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and immediately unblock the Lachin corridor, removing all obstacles to safe, reliable and unhindered transport communication. He also asked the Council to send a fact - finding mission to Nagorno - Karabakh and the corridor to assess the humanitarian situation on the ground and ensure unhindered humanitarian access of UN agencies to Nagorno - Karabakh . The Council must fulfill its duty to maintain international peace and security and resolutely condemn the aggressive actions of Azerbaijan, which pose an existential threat to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and their right to live freely and with dignity, without fear of external oppression, he stressed.
The strange and bewildering speech of YASHAR T. ALIYEV (Azerbaijan) is very remarkable. He considers the consideration of the humanitarian crisis concerning the life and security of the 120,000 Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to be an exploitation of the Security Council by Armenia. He called the name Nagorno-Karabakh itself erroneous, shamelessly ignoring the fact that it appears quite officially in numerous international legal documents and legal acts, many of which are signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, including the current president of this country, I. Aliyev. Including under the trilateral Statement of 09.11.2020, which literally states: "The Lachin corridor (5 km wide), which will provide communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia" (item 6).
Calling Nagorno-Karabakh only a territory, an economic region, denying the right to self-determination in any form to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the representative of Azerbaijan openly confirms once again that his country categorically ignores the principles and provisions of international law, the UN Charter, according to which the right of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination and a secure existence is legally binding, a peremptory norm, and generates obligations in a specific issue both for the entire international community as a whole, so it is for any subject of international law. Without listening to the statements of representatives of a number of countries who spoke earlier at the meeting about the inadmissibility of misinformation and false information, who directly pointed to the blocking of the corridor, grossly distorting reality, he said that the corridor is not blocked, the movement of citizens, goods and vehicles remains unchanged, and the peacekeepers continue to fulfill their duties to protect the route. Trying to mislead the international community, he claimed that Armenia allegedly continued its illegal military activities, which led to the death of Azerbaijanis. According to his logic, it turns out that Armenia, having planted mines on its territory to prevent further aggressive actions of Azerbaijan, 140 square kilometers of sovereign Armenian territory that it has already occupied, is trying to cause as many human casualties as possible in order to hinder the reconstruction projects of Azerbaijan. That is, it turns out that the territories of Armenia are included in this project for the restoration of Azerbaijan and the laying of mines there may lead to the death of Azerbaijani soldiers in the next attempts to capture them. Having invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia, in the area of the city of Jermuk, the Azerbaijani military, as reported by the Armenian Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan, removed mines there and moved them to the territory of the Lachin district, making false accusations to Armenia of using the Lachin corridor for the transportation of ammunition.
In a very defiant manner, the representative of Azerbaijan stated that his government would not allow outside interference in Azerbaijan's affairs, apparently hinting that the members of the UN Security Council had gathered in vain to discuss this issue, accusing unnamed third countries of escalating tensions and undermining the fragile normalization process. He warned these "third parties", which also means those whose representatives at the Security Council stated the need to unblock the humanitarian corridor, respect international law, that they should refrain from actions and statements that could prevent Azerbaijan from pursuing a policy of human rights violations. Claiming that there was no blockade of the Lachin corridor, he demanded that Armenia abandon provocations and compensate for the damage caused, apparently referring to the latter's appeal to the Security Council. Guaranteeing his citizens of Armenian origin the rights and freedoms that everyone enjoys, he apparently meant that the closure of the Lachin corridor, the shutdown of gas supply, as a result of which the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were on the verge of a severe humanitarian catastrophe, are ways to implement these "guarantees", and not attempts at ethnic cleansing.
No less odious are the comments of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on the materials of the UN Security Council discussion of the situation on the Lachin corridor (https://news.day.az/politics/1521651.html). Without any observance of the elementary norms of diplomatic etiquette, the Foreign Ministry of this country called the opinions on the "humanitarian consequences" of the situation expressed by all members of the Security Council, without exception, who took part in the discussion of the issue, false and itself tried shamelessly to accuse the UN Security Council member states that, according to the wording of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, they are not shy demonstrate a biased, one-sided position. This department is particularly concerned about the alleged incorrect indication of part of the territory of Azerbaijan. That is, at the request of Azerbaijan, the members of the UN Security Council do not have the right to call Nagorno-Karabakh as «Nagorno-Karabakh». It was also noted that Azerbaijan rejects such references considering them interference in its internal affairs and once again calls on these states to comply with the obligations arising from the UN Charter and international law, to refrain from any statements directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within internationally recognized borders.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry also claims that neither the Azerbaijani government nor the protesters blocked the Lachin road. The order of movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo on the road remains unchanged, and talk about blocking is an invention of Armenia and members of the UN Security Council. Instead of interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, according to the Foreign Ministry of this country, the international community should force Armenia to stop political and military provocations, abandon aggressive rhetoric and actions, approach direct negotiations with good will in order to find a peaceful diplomatic solution to all issues within the framework of interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Apparently, Azerbaijan considers its occupation of the territory of Armenia, blocking of the humanitarian corridor, violation of basic human rights, constant armed actions with numerous dead and wounded to be the best way to achieve results in this matter. It is known that by committing aggressive actions, Azerbaijan blames the victims of aggression themselves, accompanying it with falsification of facts, false propaganda and disinformation. And this is the essence and the main direction of Azerbaijan's information strategy and practice.
Having considered the main theses of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan on the materials of the UN Security Council on the Lachin corridor, we can come to the following conclusions. Firstly, Azerbaijan believes that the members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, India and others, are engaged in disinformation and spreading false opinions about the blocking of the Lachin corridor. Secondly, there is no Nagorno-Karabakh and the members of the Security Council have no right to talk about it or even use this name. There is a certain territory inhabited by Armenians, and the UN Security Council has no right to tell Azerbaijan what it should do in relation to this territory. And he will "respect the rights" of the people living there the way he wants. And if someone thinks that blocking the only way for these people to communicate with the outside world is a humanitarian crisis and tries to help solve it, it will be an impermissible interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan. It is hard to imagine a ruder insult for the UN Security Council and its members. This is what Azerbaijan did.
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