S/PV.3259 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In accordance with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. Mr. Hassanoyv (Azerbaijan) took places at the Council table; Mr. Batu (Turkey) took the place reserved for him at the side of the Council Chamber.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in response to the requests contained in a letter dated 24 July 1993 from the Acting President of the Azerbaijani Republic addressed to the President of the Security Council, transmitted by a letter dated 24 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Azerhaijan to (The President) the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/26164, and in a letter dated 27 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/26168. Members of the Council have before them document S/26190, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council's prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following technical change to the draft resolution contained in document 8/26190: in operative paragraph 5, the words "paragraphs 2 and 3" should be replaced by “paragraphs 3 and 4", (The President) I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following documents: $/26079, $/26129, S/26136, S/26137, 5/26143, $/26158, $/26159, $/26160, S/26161, S$/26163, S/26181 and S/26187, containing letters dated 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 and 28 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; 8/26135, S/26154, S/26155, S/26156 and S/26157, containing letters dated 22, 23 and 26 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; and $/26184, letter dated 28 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council transmitting the report of the Chairman of the CSCE Conference on Nagorny~Karabakh to the President of the Security Council, Members of the Council have also received photocopies of letters dated 28 July 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council, which will be issued as documents $/26188, 8/26189, 8/26193 and 8/26134, It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall now put to the vote the draft resolution contained in document $/26190, as orally revised, in its provisional form. There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Brazil, Cape Verde, China, Djibouti, France, Hungary, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 853 (1993). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting. Mr. NIAZ (Pakistan): My delegation is extremely concerned at the further deterioration of the conflict situation between the Azerbaijani Republic and the Republic of Armenia. We are particularly concerned about the invasion and occupation of the city of Agdam in the Azerbaijani Republic by Armenian forces. It is understood that another district in Azerbaijan, that of Fizuli, and several of its surrounding towns and villages are under threat from the Armenian forces. This has created an extremely alarming situation, particularly for the civilian population in the affected areas in the Agerbaijani Republic. We are therefore grateful to you, Mr. President, for immediately responding to the Azerbaijani Republic's calls for an urgent meeting of the Council and for steering the Council in its unanimous adoption of today's resolution. Pakistan condemns the continuing Armenian aggression against the Azerbaijani Republic and demands the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied Azerbaijani territories. We urge the Republic of Armenia to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and we call for a just and peaceful settlement of the problem on the basis of respect for the principles of the territorial integrity of States and the inviolability of internationally recognized frontiers. Our position is consistent with that taken by a Special Ministerial Meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference held in Islamabad on 12 and 13 July 1993. (Mr. Niaz, Pakistan) We commend the efforts made by the Chairman-in-office of the CSCE Minsk Group to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and express the hope that the Council's adoption of this resolution today will strengthen the CSCE peace process. We appeal to all parties concerned to refrain from any action that will obstruct a peaceful solution to the conflict and to engage earnestly in negotiations within the Minsk Group of the CSCE towards the attainment of a just, equitable and lasting settlement. Mr. LADSOUS (France) (interpretation from French): My delegation is pleased that our Council has been able, after studying the report of the Chairman of the Minsk Conference of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), to adopt swiftly and unanimously resolution 853 (1993), relating to the situation in Nagorny~Karabakh. Recent events, marked by attacks by local Armenian forces against Agdam, in violation of the commitments made during the recent CSCE mission to the region, call for clear condemnation. That is what this resolution unambiguously does. The resolution also affirms two principles to which my Government is especially devoted: first, the Council's support for the efforts of the Minsk Group of the CSCE to find a peaceful settlement to the conflict, and, secondly, free access for humanitarian aid and the restoration of economic ties in the region. My Government has long taken a special interest in this painful conflict affecting the region of Nagorny-Karabakh. We believe that every effort should be made to bring about a negotiated settlement. France, which is a member of the CSCE and which plays an active role in the Minsk Group, will (Mr. Ladsous, France) spare no effort in working multilaterally or bilaterally to facilitate the success of the CSCE peace process. France therefore welcomes the first step taken yesterday, in the form of the conclusion of an agreement between the authorities of Azerbaijan and those of Nagorny—Karabakh to extend the cease-fire. Mr. VORONTSOV (Russian Federation) (interpretation from Russian): The Russian leadership is deeply concerned at the offensive actions taken by armed units of Nagorny~Karabakh Armenians, as a result of which the Averbaijani town of Agdam, lying outside the boundaries of Nagorny~Karabakh, was seized. All this is happening at a time when we have seen real progress in the negotiating process, as is borne out by the results of the recent visit to the conflict gone by Mr. Mario Raffaelli, Chairman of the Minsk Conference of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). These actions have been taken despite assurances to the Russian side by official Armenian representatives that no ground offensive operations by units of Nagorny-Karabakh Armenians would be undertaken and that they did not intend to attack Agdam. The Russian Federation's position, as was confirmed in the statement of its Minister for Foreign Affairs dated 24 July, continues to be to call for an immediate cease-fire and compliance with Security Council resolution 822 (1993) and the proposals of the Minsk Group of the CSCE as bases for a political settlement in Nagorny-Karabakh. (Mr. Vorontsov, Russian Federation) It must, however, be noted that there have been some positive developments in the situation with respect to the Nagorny-~Karabakh conflict; the main ones are the establishment of direct contacts between the parties and the beginning of bilateral dialogue between the leaders of the Azerbaijani Republic and Nagorny~Karabakh. We have information that a meeting was held yesterday, 28 July, between the Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and the Deputy Prime Minister of Nagorny-Karabakh, with the participation of leaders from their Ministries of Defence, Security and Internal Affairs. It was agreed at that meeting to extend the cease-fire for an additional seven days and to hold a summit meeting very soon between the leaders of the Azerbaijani Republic and of Nagorny~Karabakh. Russia has always advocated direct contacts between the belligerent parties; we believe these are extremely important for starting a political dialogue, for achieving an overall solution and, in the initial stages, for putting in place a cease-fire. As international practice has shown, direct contacts between the parties are the most effective way to bring about a truce and to normalize the situation in the region. We consider that the international community must welcome the positive changes in the positions of the parties concerned, and must urge them speedily to attain, in the course of the new dialogue, mutually acceptable agreements. The positive changes in the situation take nothing away from the importance of an immediate cessation of all hostilities and of an immediate, complete withdrawal by Armenians of Nagorny-Karabakh from all occupied areas of Azerbaijan. We fully join in this demand by the Security Council along with all the other provisions of the resolution we have just adopted. Mr. WALKER (United States of America): The United States strongly supports the Council's condemnation of the seizure of territory within Azerbaijan by the Nagorny-Karabakh Armenians, as well as the Council's demand for their withdrawal from Agdam and other recently occupied territory within Azerbaijan. The seizure of Agdam cannot be justified by any claim to self-defence. The capture of the city has added to the human suffering already produced in this conflict by creating tens of thousands of refugees. Most serious, this action has disrupted the peace process undertaken by the Minsk Group of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), which is the only existing means for all parties to resolve this conflict and end the suffering. The United States vigorously supports the Minsk Group's efforts and sees in today's resolution a reaffirmation of the conditions necessary to allow those efforts to proceed. We call upon the Nagorny-Karabakh Armenians to recognize that their recent activities only harm themselves, and we call upon all parties to help create the conditions that will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Mr. SARDENBERG (Brazil): The Brazilian Government has been following with increasing concern the deterioration of the situation that has arisen out of the dispute concerning Nagorny-Karabakh. It was with dismay that we took note of recent clashes, including the seizure of the Azerbaijani district of Agdam, which put in jeopardy the negotiating efforts of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) currently under way. Resolution 822 (1993), reaffirmed in today's resolution, retains its full validity and should, together with the resolution just adopted, be fully (Mr. Sardenberg, Brazil) abided by all the parties involved in the conflict, including with regard to the withdrawal of forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories and the cessation of all hostile acts. All attacks on civilians and bombardments of urban areas, of whatever origin, deserve the outright condemnation of the Security Council. The “yestoration o£ economic, transport and energy links in the region should be ensured as a matter of urgency. We deem continued cooperation on this question between the United Nations and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe to be of crucial importance. We sincerely commend the work being done within the framework of the CSCE, and we reiterate our firm support for the negotiating process being carried out under the Minsk Group. By the same token, my delegation remains ready, should the need arise, to consider ways and means to increase the United Nations contribution to the efforts undertaken at the regional level with a view to bringing about an equitable and lasting solution to the problem. We welcome the fact that some positive developments have been achieved recently, in particular the extension of the cease-fire agreement between the Azerbaijani Government and the Armenians of Nagorny-~Karabaxkh., In that regard, we encourage the Government of Armenia to continue to exert a constructive influence on the Armenians of Nagorny-Karabakh with a view to attaining the prompt implementation of resolution 822 (1993). At this stage it is essential that all the parties involved show maximum restraint, agree on a permanent cessation of armed hostilities and other hostile acts, and unconditionally adhere to the peace negotiations in place in the context of the Minsk process. Mr. BUDAI (Hungary): The delegation of Hungary thinks that the resolution adopted by the Security Council today is very important indeed. It reaffirms the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory and the inviolability of international borders. We welcome the fact that the resolution also demands the cessation of all hostilities and the withdrawal of occupying forces, and calls for unimpeded access for international humanitarian relief efforts in the region. We also note the support expressed once again by the Council for the efforts of the Minsk Group of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) to achieve a peaceful solution. We strongly believe that cooperation and mutual support between the United Nations and the CSCE must play an essential role in the search for a just and peaceful settlement of this problem. Having said that, we note with regret that today it is not at all uncommon to see nationalist forces trigger armed conflicts, hindering the stabilization and the development of a democratic order in countries that only recently became independent. Whether it occurs in the territory of the former Soviet Union or in the Balkans, this phenomenon causes suffering, human tragedies and the destruction of whole regions. New barriers between peoples and ethnic communities are created, strengthening the position of those who reject the coexistence of different religious or ethnic communities and who profess hatred instead of good~neighbourliness and civilized relations among nations. The international community cannot remain silent at the use of brute force as a means to settle admittedly difficult and complex problems that have been accumulating for decades and that have been ignored or suppressed by previous political regimes. At the same time, we note with increasing dismay (Mr. Budai, Hungary) that, in the absence of effective international action against arbitrary violence and genocide, some are drawing the conclusion that their goals can be achieved through aggression and that territory can be acquired through the use of force and by driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes with complete impunity. We deeply believe that the way the Security Council reacts to such developments is critical for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is in that spirit that my delegation lent its support to resolution 853 (1993), just adopted unanimously by the Council. Mr. ARRIA (Venezuela) (interpretation from Spanish): The Security Council has hastened unanimously and unamibiquously to condemn the occupation by force of territory of the Azerbaijani Republic. The attacks on the Azerbaijani Republic, which have caused the forced displacement of large numbers of people and the loss of life and property, are also to be censured and condemned. There can be no doubt that the extension of the conflict ~ which now includes the Agdam district in the Republic of Azerbaijan —- has, unfortunately, inflamed the tensions between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the attendant consequences; my Government finds it most deplorable that this should be the case. My delegation calls the attention of the Republic of Armenia to the responsibilities that the international community places on it, in terms both of its participation in the conflict and of its ability to contribute effectively to an immediate end thereto. My delegation is deeply concerned about the circumstances and the events on the ground that surround this conflict: they bear an extraordinary and very dangerous resemblance to the beginning of what is now the tragedy in the Balkans. This is the consideration that obliges the Council to remain alert and resolute, and to continue its support for the efforts of the Minsk Group of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Mr. PEDAUYE (Spain) (interpretation from Spanish): My delegation voted for the resolution before the Council on the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan because we consider that the latest events that have taken place in Azerbaijani territory continue to endanger peace and security in the region. The Spanish authorities have given all due consideration to the report on Nagorny-Karabakh submitted on 27 July to the President of the Security Council by the Chairman of the Minsk Group of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). The report considered that the diplomatic negotiations that are under way have been seriously hindered by the capture of the city of Agdam; this capture not only indicates that there has been a serious deterioration in the situation - which was in itself serious enough - but also puts at risk the timetable prepared by the Minsk Group, to which my delegation gives its most resolute support. The gradual increase in the military hostilities that coincided with the Rome conference not only indicates that the commitments repeatedly entered into by the Armenian community in Nagorny-Karabakh have been violated, but is also an instance of disregard for the principles of international law that this Council cannot ignore. My delegation considers that the capture of the city of Agdam and its surrounding district means that Security Council resolution 822 (1993) has clearly been violated. We therefore demand the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the forces that have occupied that territory, strictly in accordance with the terms already decided on by the Council. We emphasize the need for an immediate cessation to hostilities throughout the disputed territory. We once again reiterate Spain's support for the timetable prepared by the CSCE Minsk Group and for the work it is carrying out to implement Security Council resolution 822 (1993). We believe that the Council should follow developments extremely closely, particularly those in the Fizuli district. Mr. HATANO (Japan): Japan is gravely concerned by the escalation of fighting in the region of Nagorny-Karabakh. Japan condemns all hostile activities in the region, particularly the attacks on civilians and the bombardment of inhabited areas, and demands the immediate withdrawal of the occupying forces. My Government believes that, in order to relieve the tension, it is very important that all States refrain from supplying any weapons or ammunition to the parties to the conflict. At the same time, my Government is encouraged by the report that the authorities of Azerbaijan and Nagorny-Karabakh have signed a cease-fire agreement and that high-level talks between the two parties are expected to commence in the near future. Japan calis upon both parties to honour the terms of that agreement and strictly observe the cease-fire. Japan also commends the mediation efforts of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) and hopes that the parties will pursue negotiations towards a peaceful settlement within the CSCE as well as through direct talks. ihe PRESEDENT: There are no further speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda, The meeting rese at 4,45 p.m.