Azerbaijani FM’s letter to Sec-Gen Guterres circulated as UN document

A letter sent on February 22, 2021 by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been circulated as a document of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, the Foreign Ministry told News.Az.

The letter points out serious threat emanating from the massive contamination of the recently liberated territories of Azerbaijan with mines and other explosive devices by Armenia, and the latter’s refusal to release information regarding the minefields in these territories.

It stresses that the mines and other explosive devices in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan pose a serious threat to the life and safety of Azerbaijani military and civilians in the post-conflict period.

Minister Bayramov notes that since the signing of the trilateral statement by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on 10 November 2020, which announced an end to all military activities between Armenia and Azerbaijan, 15 citizens of Azerbaijan, including 9 civilians, have been killed and 65 citizens, including 8 civilians, have been seriously wounded as a result of mine explosions in the recently liberated territories.

“The massive mine contamination of the liberated territories also seriously impedes the realization of the wide-ranging rehabilitation and reconstruction plans that the Government of Azerbaijan has embarked on,” the letter reads.

The minister emphasizes that Armenia’s refusal to release information concerning the location of the minefields is a blatant violation of Armenia’s obligation under customary international humanitarian law.

“The human costs inflicted by the Armenian-planted mines cannot but constitute a war crime,” Azerbaijan’s top diplomat adds.

Link to the document: https://undocs.org/a/75/778

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