UN official calls for peaceful settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

United Nations, Sep 16 UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Miroslav Jenca, has stressed the need for a peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

The international community must remain fully committed to a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and spare no effort to de-escalate the current tensions, bring the parties back to the negotiating table and help them achieve peace and stability in the region, said Jenca on Thursday.

In the immediate term, the parties must abide by their obligations to fully implement the November 2020 cease-fire brokered by Russia, he told the Security Council in a briefing as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

"We urge them to return to the negotiating table and take steps toward the signing of a lasting peace treaty. It will be important that a similar unified message come from the Security Council for the parties to focus on a diplomatic solution," he added.

On Monday evening, the authorities in Armenia and Azerbaijan reported heavy fighting on their international border. According to reports, heavy artillery, drones and large-calibre weapons were used. The exchange of fire reportedly continued through Tuesday and Wednesday, said Jenca.

On Wednesday evening, it was announced that a cease-fire had been agreed, he added.

Earlier this week, the Armenian Defence Ministry said that the Azerbaijani side was targeting Armenian military positions, as well as civilian infrastructure, in the Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions of the country. Armenia reported 105 of its servicemen killed and six civil wounded as of Wednesday evening, UN Assistant Secretary-General said.

While Armenia called the events a deliberate attack, Azerbaijan countered that they were "retaliatory measures" made in response to provocations from Armenia. Azerbaijan, for its part, reported 71 servicemen killed and two civil wounded, he added.

The UN is not in a position to verify or confirm the specifics of these reports, said Jenca.

"We remain deeply concerned, however, over this dangerous escalation, including its possible impact on civil, and have urged the sides to take immediate and concrete steps to de-escalate tensions."

The fighting this week was the latest and the largest in a series of incidents since 2020. It highlights the fact that the process of normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to encounter serious obstacles.

This escalation also underscores the urgent need for the parties to move forward in the ongoing process of delimitation and demarcation within the framework of mutual recognition of their territorial integrity and sovereignty. The UN urges the parties to take advantage of this important mechanism as an essential step toward alleviating tensions at the border, Jenca added.

This week's events are also a stark reminder that tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan also have the potential to destabilise the region. They highlight the need for all actors, in the region and beyond, to act constructively and to press the sides to work for a peaceful settlement, he said.