OSCE sends needs assessment team to Armenia
YEREVAN, October 20, /ARKA/. The OSCE said following the invitation by the government of the Republic of Armenia, it will send a needs assessment team to the country on 21-27 October.
The purpose of the visit is to assess the situation in certain border areas, on the basis of the OSCE’s mandate and expertise within its comprehensive concept of security.
The technical team comprised of international experts and representatives of the OSCE Secretariat will visit areas along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and hold consultations with the relevant national and local stakeholders as well as international partners on the ground.
On October 6, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel held a meeting in Prague on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit.
In a statement adopted at the end of the meeting, Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, through which both sides recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. They confirmed that this will serve as basis for the work of the commissions on delimitation and that the next meeting of these commissions will take place in Brussels by the end of October.
Armenia expressed its agreement to encourage the EU civilian mission along the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan agreed to cooperate with the mentioned mission to the extent it will be concerned. The mission will start its work in October, for a maximum period of two months.
The purpose of the mission will be to build confidence and, through its reports, support the border commissions.
On September 13, Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Armenia. Using heavy artillery, multiple rocket launchers and combat UAVs, the Azerbaijani armed forces shelled 36 residential areas and communities, including towns of Goris, Jermuk, Vardenis, Kapan, Geghamasar deep within the sovereign territory of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani attack deliberately targeted civilian population and vital civilian infrastructures. According to official information, 207 Armenian citizens, both military personnel and civilians were killed and went missing, 293 servicemen were wounded, 3 civilians and 20 servicemen were taken captives. -0-
