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UN urges to resume peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh under auspices of OSCE

2 October 2020 14:39 (UTC+04:00)
UN urges to resume peace talks on Nagorno-Karabakh under auspices of OSCE

By Trend

The UN maintains contacts with the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict 'at different levels' and urges on the need to resume peace negotiations, the UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric made the statement answering journalists' questions during a daily briefing in New York, Trend reports referring to UN News.

"We have also maintained and continue to maintain contact with our colleagues in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," he said. “We believe that the parties should return to the Minsk process, which is being led by the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairs."

He also added that the UN continues to maintain contacts with representatives of the parties at different levels'.

On September 28, the Secretary-General of UN Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and return to meaningful negotiations to avoid instability in the region. A day earlier, on September 27, as soon as the first reports on the escalation of violence in Nagorno Karabakh came out, Guterres issued a statement condemning the use of force and regretting the death of people.

In July 2020, when the shelling began on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the UN head called on the parties to show maximum restraint in order to avoid a full-scale conflict, which, as he said, would be a disaster.

The UN Secretary-General also considers it necessary to immediately send OSCE observers to the region. Back in 1992, the OSCE Minsk Group was authorized to contribute to the search for a peaceful settlement of this conflict. It is co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US.

Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.

Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district).

Moreover, the positions of the Armenian Armed Forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control.

Military actions continued on Sept. 29. Azerbaijani army was able to destroy several tanks of the Armenian Armed Forces, as well as several key military facilities.

Azerbaijan's Dashkesan district underwent fire on the same day from the opposing forces, while Azerbaijani Armed Forces continued military actions on Sept. 29 to liberate the city of Fuzuli from occupation.

According to a statement from Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, the Armenian armed forces have suffered heavy losses along the entire front line from Sept. 27 through Sept. 30, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery installations, rocket launch systems, as well as command and observation posts, air defense systems, etc.

Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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