January 17, 2023

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Response to the Address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan

As delivered by Ambassador Michael Carpenter to the Special Permanent Council, Vienna

Thank you, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan. Welcome to the Permanent Council and thank you for sharing your assessment of the grave security situation in the region.

The United States, too, is gravely concerned that the Lachin corridor has now been obstructed for more than 30 days, creating critical shortages of food, medicine, and other supplies in Nagorno-Karabakh. These facts are indisputable. We call on Azerbaijan and Russia to restore unhindered transit immediately in keeping with prior commitments, which clearly include guarantees, as you have quoted, for the “security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.”

The ongoing disrupted passage of private and commercial traffic on the Lachin road could have severe humanitarian consequences for the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh. We thank the ICRC for providing critical aid, and call on Azerbaijan to ensure the individual rights, safety, and well-being of the population living in this area are respected. All OSCE participating States have an obligation to protect the safety of persons on their territory without regard to ethnicity.

I also look forward to a substantive discussion on the recommendations of the Polish Chair’s Needs Assessment Team under the stewardship of North Macedonia. The OSCE and its various institutions are well placed to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan based on our comprehensive approach to security and anchored in our values, principles, and commitments. We have an extensive toolkit that could be utilized in this conflict and we should discuss how we can do so. The United States calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to reengage in meaningful negotiations to resolve their disputes. A comprehensive peace agreement is the only true path to long-lasting peace based on normalization of relations and mutual recognition. We also call on Azerbaijan and Armenia to investigate alleged atrocities and to hold perpetrators accountable.

Mr. Chair, the United States looks forward to working with North Macedonia and the OSCE to improve security for all people in this region. We will continue to work with Azerbaijan and Armenia bilaterally, multilaterally through partners such as the European Union, and through international organizations like the OSCE to reach a comprehensive and sustainable settlement for this conflict.