People wait to take a bus to return to Stepanakert, in Yerevan, Armenia, on November 19, 2020. (Photo by Anush Babajanyan for POLITICO).
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Artsakh was the main topic of discussion on Monday when Armenia’s Acting Foreign Minister Ara Aivazyan held a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The conversation mostly focused on the steps to be taken to alleviate the humanitarian, socio-economic situation in Artsakh following the recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Presenting Armenia’s work with relevant UN agencies during the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian access, Aivazyan stressed that Azerbaijan continues to politicize the issue of access and undermine the efforts of the international community.
In the context of urgent humanitarian issues, Aivazyan stressed the urgency of repatriating Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held hostage by Azerbaijan.
Aivazyan and Guterres also touched upon the need to introduce effective international mechanisms in the direction of protection and preservation of historical and cultural and religious heritage in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone.
Aivazyan considered unacceptable the behavior of the Azerbaijani side in blocking the implementation of the international expert mission to endangered cultural sites.
He said resumption the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship is important, emphasizing the role of the co-chairs in addressing the consequences of the war.