Debate: The resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Date: WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2020
Speaker: Josep Borrell Fontelles
Language: EN

The current military confrontation along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone is of our utmost concern. It is the largest confrontation since 1993-1994. We have been very engaged on this issue. On the day that fighting erupted, I released a statement as High Representative calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation and a strict observance of the cease-fire. During those days I had several phone calls separately with Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers urging both sides to stop hostilities and return to the negotiation table.  Our position is clear: the fighting must stop. Both sides need to re-engage in meaningful negotiation, which, by the way, has not been very fruitful over the last 30 years, without preconditions under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. There cannot be a military solution to the conflict no less an external interference. This position was reinforced by the European Council held on 1 and 2 October.  We have seen extremely worrying reports of a surge in attacks on populated areas which is taking a deadly toll on civilians. We strongly urge the sides to fully observe their international obligations to protect civilian populations, and with the resources we have, we have urgently allocated a small amount of money in humanitarian aid for the affected populations. In fact, we don’t have a lot of information about how the conflict is developing. Detailed information is scarce and there is a lot of fake news.  We see monitoring underground remains suspended, so we don’t have that service. But what we observed is an increasing amount of information which is aimed at mobilising the domestic audiences in both countries and could be used to pull regional actors into the conflict. Media reports need therefore to be examined with great caution because some of the news that has been disseminated, we don’t have confirmation about it.  At this a stage further escalation of the conflict and involvement of regional actors unhappily cannot be excluded. This would seriously threaten the stability of the whole region.  On 30 September I discussed the situation with the Russian Foreign Minister. I also spoke with the Turkish Foreign Minister, the two regional actors which are closer to the conflict. I emphasised the importance of de-escalating, the importance that regional actors refrain from any activity and rhetoric that could inflame things even further. I spoke to the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan during the weekend. I stressed that the increase in civilian casualties is unacceptable. I knew from both sides the actions taken by the other side. Each one of them blames the other for starting and for attacking civilian population from the territory, not from Nagorno-Karabakh itself, the region in dispute, but from Armenia to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan to Armenia.  The fighting should stop. The Minsk Co-Chairs are going to have meetings this week with the Foreign Affairs Ministers of two countries and the only way of getting out of this situation is that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs pushes for immediate negotiations as soon as possible.  We will continue working with the key partners and try to help stop hostilities because the only solution is to go back to the negotiating table, but this negotiating table has been open for the last 30 years – 30 – without any kind of advance. The war is not an alternative. We have to push both parties to stop fighting and negotiating without preconditioning, but this is for the time being not the case. I’m sorry I cannot inform you more about that because I accept that information is very scarce, and we have to take much care in disseminating news which has not been confirmed. About the situation in Cyprus, I share the concern of the honourable Member who took the floor a moment ago. For sure, this issue of Famagusta was taken into consideration and the European Council also. The opening of this area, which is a closed area according to the cease-fire agreements under the auspices of the United Nations, is a serious violation of this agreement. Yesterday we issued a statement and today the 27 will issue another one asking Turkey to stop doing this activity.  You know that the European Council issued a statement about the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, and for sure this is not going to help. On the contrary, it is going to increase tension and make it more difficult to reach an agreement on an especially difficult situation for all of us in the Eastern Mediterranean.