UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
During the December 22nd noon briefing, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, in line with many other pressing world issues also spoke about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
The statement issued by the Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Farhan Haq reports that Ban Ki-Moon urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from actions that may result in further violence on the NKR Contact Line. He also called on the sides to work closely with the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group to de-escalate the current tensions.
The Secretary-General commended the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to organize the presidential summit that took place on December 19 in Bern, Switzerland between President Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev. He also noted that the ongoing mediation efforts by the Co-Chairs to de-escalate tensions along the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border were welcomed.
According to the spokesperson, Ban Ki Moon is hopeful that the summit would offer an opportunity for the sides to engage in efforts and practical steps to reduce ceasefire violations, civilian casualties and look for ways to advance the peace process.
Recently, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel submitted a proposal designed to safeguard the ceasefire in NKR and help OSCE pinpoint the regime violator.
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have both expressed support for these life-saving initiatives. According to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the Obama Administration and the OSCE also support these initiatives. Only Azerbaijan opposes their implementation.
