Armenian diplomat accuses Azerbaijan of attempting to justify ethnic  cleansing in Artsakh

ArmInfo. Despite efforts to eliminate international terrorism, this global scourge continues to pose a serious threat to the maintenance of international peace and security, the rule of law, democracy and the enjoyment of human rights.

This was stated by Varduhi Melikyan, Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN, at the UN Sixth Committee under the Agenda Item 110, entitles "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism".  As ArmInfo was informed by the press service of the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN, the diplomat drew attention to the fact that multiple challenges continue to persist, including those emerging from new technologies, social media, and online platforms. 

"The rise of hate speech, xenophobia and polarization creates fertile ground for the recruitment of terrorists.  Effectively addressing these evolving challenges calls for comprehensive analysis, proactive strategies, and strengthened international cooperation to mitigate the risks they pose to global security.  Countering terrorism and associated threats necessitates a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, suppression and effective investigation. Armenia is fully committed to addressing the evolving threats posed by terrorism at the national, regional and international levels," Melikyan emphasized.

According to her, the relevant international conventions and documents to which Armenia is a party establish a robust normative framework for this.  "Armenia, through relevant cooperation platforms, has been actively working to strengthen and enhance counter-terrorism efforts by improving coordination and developing effective strategies, also, within the regional arrangements. As an active member of the Council of Europe Committee on Counter- Terrorism, Armenia has consistently contributed to the development of recommendations and guidelines for member states in combating terrorism," the Armenian diplomat said. Melikyan then touched upon the allegations put forward by Azerbaijan in its national submission to the UN Secretary General's report for this year and stressed that they are entirely false.

"The claims concerning the so-called "counter-terrorist measures carried out in September 2023" are nothing short of an attempt to justify an ethnic cleansing operation. The forcible displacement of 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, following a ten-month blockade and the use of starvation as a method of warfare illustrates this reality. Azerbaijan's indiscriminate military operations have caused hundreds of civilian casualties, including many children, resulting in a massive forcible displacement of people," the Armenian diplomat added.

"Furthermore, in its submission Azerbaijan has claimed that " hundreds of its citizens have been victims of "mine terrorism since 2020." We regret that Azerbaijan continues to justify its unlawful conduct with unfounded accusations about landmines, a claim that has been rejected twice by the International Court of Justice. It is well known that Armenia, despite being under no legal obligations to do so, has voluntarily provided all landmine data in its possession as a gesture of goodwill. Furthermore, Armenia has invited relevant international partners to participate in verifying the accuracy of this information," Melikyan recalled.

The Advisor to the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN emphasized that Azerbaijan's misguide assertions are aimed to link Armenia to terrorism. According to her, these actions rather amount to hate speech targeting Armenia and its people, a state led policy, which has been cultivated in Azerbaijan for years.  "In conclusion, Armenia reaffirms its strong commitment to implementing effective measures to combat international terrorism, that remains a grave threat to the maintenance of peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and the enjoyment of human rights," Melikyan concluded.