Statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the exercise of the right of reply to the statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Armenia at the Sixth Committee of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly under agenda item 110: "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism"
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Azərbaycan Respublikasının |
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Permanent Mission |
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633 Third Avenue, Suite 3210, New York, N.Y. 10017 |
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Statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the exercise of the right of reply to the statement by the Delegation of the Republic of Armenia at the Sixth Committee of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly under agenda item 110: "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism"
3 October 2024
Mr. Chairman,
Regrettably, Armenia once again made a statement that is in flat contradiction with the ongoing normalization process between our countries and the efforts to promote peace and security in the region. It is ironic that mono-ethnic Armenia, whose central message continues to be that Azerbaijanis and Armenians are fundamentally incompatible and in which international terrorists, war criminals and racist ideologues are national heroes, is making up stories about Azerbaijan’s policy of hate speech targeting Armenia and its people. Armenia’s claims about “blockade”, “starvation”, “ethnic cleansing”, “forcible displacement” and “civilian casualties” are equally false. The United Nations inter-agency mission that visited the region refuted the allegations that the local residents and their property were targeted or subjected to violence during the security measures in September 2023 or thereafter. As to the threat of landmine terrorism, we remember well that, after the end of the conflict in November 2020, Armenia rejected that it had any maps of the minefields, calling it a “fake agenda”, later refused to hand over “unexpectedly” found maps, but eventually had to release some of them under international pressure. However, although Armenia confessed that these maps were only a “tiny part” of the information in its possession, and despite incompleteness and inaccuracy of most of the records it provided and the increasing number of Azerbaijanis killed by landmines, Armenia has repeatedly and categorically refused to further engage on this issue. This is how “a gesture of goodwill” is understood in Armenia. We also remember that Armenia initially denied that it manufactured landmines. We now know that Armenia simply lied, as an Armenian company, Hayk-Mek, had manufactured the mines that Azerbaijan discovered on its territory. Armenia is fundamentally wrong in its inference that it has no obligation to provide maps of minefields. Before speaking, the representatives of Armenia must know that indiscriminate use of mines is prohibited under international humanitarian law. States using landmines are also under the obligation to record their placement and, at the end of active hostilities, to remove or otherwise render them harmless to civilians, or facilitate their removal. International law likewise obliges Armenia not to impede the safe return of internally displaced persons to their homes. Armenia’s conduct also violates international human rights law, in particular the right to life and the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose residence. Armenia further inappropriately and selectively referred to the ongoing legal proceedings between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the International Court of Justice, trying to convince the Committee that the Court rejected Azerbaijan’s accusations concerning landmines. However, even those having a little knowledge of the procedures in the ICJ are aware that the question of whether rights are engaged and the remedies that might then follow in a case of breach are entirely the matters for the merits – the stage that the Court has yet to reach in the proceedings. Finally, that Armenia is yet to comply with its international obligations and engage genuinely in efforts towards consolidating peace and stability in the region is evidenced also by its continued use of old or fake names for the localities in Azerbaijan. The reference by Armenia to inexistent name “Nagorno-Karabakh” is testament to Armenia’s apparent disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of my country. It should be reminded in this regard that the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, including the recognition and use of geographical names established by legitimate and competent national authorities in relation to their sovereign territory, is a duty placed on all States and is an absolute imperative for the maintenance of peace, security and the legal order based on the universally recognized norms and principles of international law and the U.N. Charter.
Thank you. |
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