Azərbaycan Respublikasının Permanent Mission of the BMT Yanında Daimi Republic of Azerbaijan Nümayəndəliyi to the United Nations
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Azərbaycan Respublikasının Permanent Mission of the BMT yanında Daimi Republic of Azerbaijan Nümayəndəliyi to the United Nations 633 Third Avenue, Suite 3210, New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel.: (212) 371-2559; Fax: (212) 371-2784 Statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan First Committee, the Seventy-Fifth Session of the General Assembly New York, 16 October 2020 General Debate Mr. Chair, At the outset we would like to join others in congratulating You and the members of the Bureau on your election. You can count on full support and cooperation of our Delegation. Azerbaijan aligns itself with the statement made by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and in our national capacity we would like to add the following remarks. Mr. Chair, As the coronavirus with its devastating impact continues to spread across the globe, forcing all of us to adapt usual methods of work to the current circumstance, we appreciate the efforts to ensure smooth functioning of the First Committee, which is an important platform and forum for open debate on disarmament-related issues and global threats to international peace and security. The challenges facing the world today continue to affect millions of people around the world increasing instability and seriously deminishing trust and confidence. In times like this it is especially important to reaffirm our common commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles and norms of international law in order to preserve and maintain international peace and security Mr. Chair, Nuclear disarmament is a critical element of global efforts to make the world safer, to strengthen peace and security, as well as to promote confidence. Azerbaijan supports efforts aimed at achieving this goal, which ultimetly should lead to the world free of nuclear weapons and nuclear danger. As one of the State Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Azerbaijan remains committed to this cornerstone document and fully abides by its obligations. We are looking forward to the convening of the 10th NPT Review Conference and a succeful outcome of this meeting. We strongly belive in the multilateral efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery in all its aspects and stand ready to continue our support to existing relevant international instruments. Mr. Chair, Azerbaijan continues its consistent efforts at the multilateral and bilateral levels to ensure closer coordination and cooperation in the implementation of its obligations in the areas of arms control, non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence- and security-building measures. As a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azerbaijan regularly engages in information-sharing, submits reports and receives on-site inspections, as well as evaluation and observation visits, under the OSCE Vienna Document 2011 on CSBMs, the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Securiy, the OSCE Document on SALW and Principles Governing Conventional Arms Transfer, among others. Although it is recognized that arms control and confidence- and security-building measures had a positive influence on the overall political stability and security environment in the OSCE area, they nevertheless failed to effectively contribute in conflict situations, especially in the region of the South Caucasus. Albeit deplorable, this should have been quite expectable given, on the one hand, a stark contrast between the stated words and actual deeds on the ground and on the other hand, a total absence of respect for the basic norms and principles of international law that guide inter-States relations. Mr. Chair, In early 1990s, Armenia used military force against Azerbijan to fulfill its long-nurtured plan of seizing our territory. This well-prepared aggression resulted in seizure of the significant part of my country, including Nagorny Karabakh, the seven adjacent districts and some exclaves. These territories, turned into “grey zone”, left outside of application of international treaties, including any CSBMs or arms control mechanisms, remained under Armenian occupation for over past 30 years. The war claimed lives of tens of thousands of people and caused considerable destruction of civilian infrastructure and property in Azerbaijan. The occupied territories were ethnicaly cleansed of all Azerbijanis, while more than 1 million people were forced to leave their homes. Accompanied by the deliberate policy of Armenia to derail the peace process, its inflamatory and warmongering statements and consistent porvocations on the ground, including the deliberate attacks in April 2016 and July 2020, the incursion of the sabotage-reconnaissance group into the territory of Azerbaijan this August and purposeful actions aimed at changing the demographic, cultural and physical character of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, leaves no doubt that the ultimate goal of Armenia was to consolidate the occupation and achieve the annexation of the territories of Azerbiajan under the cover of cease-fire and peace process. The lack of adequate reaction of the international community to provocations, agressive actions and unlawful activities by Armenia, notorious double standards and selectivity with regard to the universally recognized obligations and commitments under international law only contributed to Armenia’s sense of impunity and permissiveness. As we speak, detrimental consequences of the above-mentioned gross violations by Armenia are glaring on the frontline. Armenia is using weapons and military equipment that it has been illegally transfering to and accumulating in the occupied territories, in order to continue its aggression against Azerbaijan. The armed forces of Armenia subjects major cities of Azerbaijan (Yevlakh, Goranboy, Beylagan, Tartar, Barda, Aghdam, Aghjabadi and others) and the critical civilian infrastructure of a regional importance located far away from the combant zone to intensive shelling. Civilian objects, 2 such as hospitals, medical centers, school building and kindergartens, as well as graveyards are not spared. As a result of the armed attack by Armenia that began on 27 September 2020 and is currently ongoing, thus far 47 Azerbaijani civilians, including children and elderly have been killed, 222 civilians have been hospitalized with various injuries, more that 1669 private houses, 84 apartments buildings and 301 civilian facilities have been destroyed. In order to repel military aggression by Armenia and to ensure the security of civilians and densely populated residential areas, deep inside the internationally recognized territories of Azerbiajan, the armed forces of Azerbaijan undertake counter-offensive measures within the right to self-defence and in full compliance with the international humanitarian law. Azerbaijan acts on its sovereign soil, and takes adequate and proportionate measures to repulse the imminent threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity and security of its population. The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan informed that the armed forces of Armenia use “Touchka-U” tactical missiles, “Scud” tactical ballistic missiles, multiple rocket launch systems (MRLS), including “Smerch”, “URAGAN” and “GRAD”, as well as other heavy artillery to target densely populated residential areas and other civilian objects in Azerbaijan. There is nothing surprising in Armenia’s apparent disregard for the universal rules of civilized behavior. The reports and evidence indicate that Armenia is extensively using massively destructive methods of warfare and weapons prohibited under the international law, such as cluster munition. The evidence collected before and throughout the current hostilities clearly indicates that Armenia acively recruites foreign terrorist fighters and mercenaries to use in combat against Azerbaijan. For this purpose, Armenian disapora organizations operating in various countries under the disguise of charity and non-governmental organizations raise funds and collect other material means to finance terrorist activities and support the aggression of Armenia and attacks of its armed forces againts the civilian population in Azerbaijan. According to international media reports, thousands of ethnic Armenians from different countries, including from Lebanon, Greece and France, have already arrived in the conflict zone or in the process of deployment. Despite the humanitarian ceasefire agreed during the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Moscow on 9 October 2020, with the mediation of the Russian Federation, to exchange the prisoners of war and bodies of dead, effective as of 12:00 on 10 October 2020, the armed forces of Armenia continued to attack densely populated areas and the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan. Immediately after the establishment of the humanitarian ceasefire, the armed forces of Armenia fired at the Aghdam and Tartar districts of Azerbaijan, attempted an attack in the direction of Hardrut and Jabrayil and subjected to missile attack the city of Mingachevir. On the night of 11 October 2020, an apartment building in the central part of Ganja, located approximately 40 km away from the frontline once again came under the missile attack by the armed forces of Armenia with Scud type ballistic missiles that have an enomourous destructive power. The strike was carried out from Vardenis district of Armenia