International reactions to the July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes

The following is a list of reactions to the July 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes.

Supranational Organisations

• CSTO – CSTO issued a statement, expressing serious concern over the "escalation of the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border" and called for an "immediate ceasefire".
• European Union – European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, said that he is "very concerned about exchange of fire on Armenia-Azerbaijan border", and that it is "important for both countries to show restraint and to use all channels of communication, both direct and the good offices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs" on his Twitter account.
• OIC – General Secretariat of Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned “the attack by the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia on the Tovuz region in the Republic of Azerbaijan and their violations of the ceasefire on the border region between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, meanwhile Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaimeen expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen.
• GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development – GUAM Secretariat condemned the "attacks of the Armenian armed forces in the direction of Tovuz district along the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia", and noted that "conflicts impede well-being, stability and prosperity of GUAM area".
• UN – Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres issued a statement expressing deep concerns over the "reports of exchanges of fire, including with heavy weaponry, along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border", urging an "immediate end to the fighting" and calling on all involved to "take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and refrain from provocative rhetoric". Then, on 20 July, Dujarrick stated that Guterres was "following the tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia with deep concern", saying that he was calling "on both sides to maximize restraint", while noting that a "full-scale conflict between the two countries would be a disaster". On 22 July, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a phone call with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, first expressing his concern over the "military stand-off at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and expressed his regret over human casualties", and then noting that the "status quo in the negotiations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could not last forever and called for an end to hostilities and a continuation of negotiations".
• Turkic Council – The Secretary General of the Turkic Council, Baghdad Amreyev expressed his deep concerns, and condemned the "artillery shelling of the Armenian Armed Forces densely populated territories of Tovuz region along the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia". He also expressed his condolences to "families of martyrs, people and the government of Azerbaijan".

OSCE Minsk Group and co-chair countries

• OSCE Minsk Group – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group condemned the "recent ceasefire violations" and called upon the sides to "take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation, including by use of the existing direct communication channels between them".

UN member states

• Cyprus – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides expressed his concern about this development, condemned the "ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan" and called for "restraint of the parties to de-escalate the tension in the region".
• France – Foreign Ministry issued a statement, condemning the "military clashes that started on Sunday on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which led to the death of several people", and called on both sides to "maintain the ceasefire and to resume dialogue to avoid escalation".
  • All factions of the French parliament unanimously expressed their support to Armenia "against the Azerbaijani aggression". The French parliamentarians noted that "the resumption of hostilities is a direct consequence of the intentions of the dictator of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev" and "supporting Armenia against Azerbaijan means supporting the right to life".
  • The Communist Party of France issued a statement saying that "Azerbaijan's criminal aggression against Armenia must end immediately" and "it is the responsibility of the international community to ensure the protection of the Armenian population in order to avoid a generalization of the conflict which could inflame the Caucasus".
• Georgia – President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili issued a statement, expressing concern over the "12–13 July armed confrontation on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border". She also said that "today, as we all fight an invisible enemy, international solidarity and the maintenance of global stability are of paramount importance".
• Greece – The chairman of the Greek Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Konstantinos Gkioulekas, stated that "just as Greece and Cyprus continue to resist aggressive Turkish provocations, other countries, such as Armenia, are under similar pressure, leading to aggressive actions in the Caucasus region". The latter noted that such actions lead to "ceasefire violations and human rights violations".
• Guatemala – First Vice President of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala Felipe Alejos Lorenzana posted a tweet condemning the "attack by Azerbaijan on July 12 in Tavush Province of Armenia", that Guatemala is rejecting "warlike actions" and calling for a "solution to be found through diplomatic channels".
• Iran – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif advised both sides to "exercise restraint" and "initiate talks aimed at resolving rifts peacefully". In the meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the President of Iran Mahmoud Vaezi, during a phone conversation with Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, expressed regret over the "killing of some Azeri soldiers in the conflict at Azerbaijan-Armenia common border", and stressed that "respecting the territorial integrity of other countries has been Iran’s regional strategy".
• Japan – Press Secretary of Japanese Foreign Ministry Masato Ohtaka (大鷹 正人, Ōtaka Masato) issued a statement saying that Japan "expresses its concern about the recent armed confrontation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the loss of lives caused by it", and that Japan "urges all parties concerned to cease any military actions and exercise maximum self-restraint". He also noted that a "final resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is essential for peace and stability of the Caucasus region".
• Kazakhstan – Kazakh Foreign Ministry expressed its concerns over "deadly armed conflict on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border", and called upon the "friendly Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to show restraint in resolving disputes and refrain from the use of force".
• Latvia – Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that "Latvia is concerned about the escalation of situation and exchanges of fire between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces", and calling on the sides to "immediately stop military operations and restore the ceasefire regime". In addition, it was noted that Latvia "supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country as defined in the Helsinki Final Act Charter of Paris, and that "thinks Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be solved only through peaceful ways in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group based on the principles of the international law".
• Moldova – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova (FAEI) issued a statement, expressing its "condolences to the families of the fallen", and calling on the parties involved to "refrain from the use of force, to continue their efforts to avoid escalating the situation and to identify a lasting political solution based on respect for the principles and rules of international law". MFAEI also noted that Moldova "advocates for the peaceful settlement of the conflict situation on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders".
• Pakistan – Spokesperson for Foreign Ministry condemned Armenia for the "attack by Armenian forces in the Tovuz district of Azerbaijan" and sent condolences to bereaved families. Spokesperson also added that the "recent provocative action is the manifestation of the Armenian attempt to distract the international community and hamper the ongoing negotiation process for peaceful resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution" and that Pakistan "reaffirms its principled position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reiterates its support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan".
• Russia – The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a statement saying "we consider it inadmissible for the escalation to continue and threaten the security of the region. We call on the parties to the conflict to exercise restraint and strictly adhere to the ceasefire". Then, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took telephone conversations with Foreign Minister of Armenia, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov. Sergey Lavrov called on the parties to "immediate ceasefire, to exercise restraint in light of the commitments made". Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that "Russia hopes for a speedy settlement of the situation on the Armenian–Azerbaijani border".
  • Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia said in an interview on August 20 "A whole complex of reasons led to the conflict. The basis, of course, is the unresolved Karabakh problem. Plus the exceptional overheating of the public space on both sides of the border. The geographic factor also served as a kind of trigger: the decision of the Armenian side to revive the old border checkpoint located 15 km from the Azerbaijani export pipelines caused heightened anxiety among some, an unjustified response from others and, as a result, launched a flywheel of confrontation with the most unpredictable consequences."
• Turkey – Foreign Ministry of Turkey condemned Armenia over its attacks in Tovuz, Azerbaijan. Ministry expressed their condolences to "the friendly and brotherly Azerbaijani people and government for the Azerbaijani martyrs who lost their lives, and to the wounded people with urgent healing". Later, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey is "with Azerbaijan with all our opportunities", and that "what Armenia did is unacceptable, it should wise up". Çavuşoğlu also posted a video of national anthem of Azerbaijan, saying "may our life be sacrificed to our beloved Azerbaijan" in his Twitter account. Fuat Oktay, Vice President of Turkey wrote that the "attack on [our] friend and brother Azerbaijan by Armenia is unacceptable, I strongly condemn it. I wish God's mercy on our martyred Azeri brothers. Always and in all conditions". Hulusi Akar, Turkish Minister of National Defence said that Turkey will continue to "stand by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against Armenia, which continues its aggressive position", and support its "Azeri brothers". President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the incident is "exceeding the caliber of Armenia" and that "Turkey will never hesitate to confront any type of attack on Azerbaijan's right, law, and soil". Akar then said that "[Armenia] will be drowned under the plot they've initiated and will definitely pay for what they've done". Head of the Presidential Defense Industry Ismail Demir expressed his organization's support to Azerbaijan stating that “our defense industry is always at the disposal of Azerbaijan with all its experience, technology and capabilities”.
  • Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of CHP posted a tweet saying that he watches the "conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia with concern", that he commemorates the soldiers of "Azerbaijan who lost their lives", and that he extends his "condolences to the people of Azerbaijan".
  • Meral Akşener, leader of the İYİ Party posted a tweet saying "I wish mercy from Allah to our brothers, who were martyred in the attack of Armenia against our beloved Azerbaijan, and urgent healing to our wounded. We are not beside them only because they are our brothers, but also because they defend their lands against an invader, we will always be with them".
  • The AK Party, CHP, MHP and İYİ Party issued a joint statement in the Grand National Assembly, condemning the "Armenian Armed Forces' attack on the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan starting from 12 July".
  • Garo Paylan, a founding member of the Peoples' Democratic Party, addressed questions to Foreign minister of Turkey. He noted that Turkey, while being a member state of the OSCE Minsk Group, displays "biased position on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict" and that "Turkey’s military industry wants to sell more ammunition to Azerbaijan".
  • The AK Party, CHP, MHP and İYİ Party issued a joint statement in the Grand National Assembly, condemning the "Armenian Armed Forces' attack on the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan starting from 12 July".
• Ukraine – Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, expressing deep concern over the "aggravation of the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border", and calling "on the parties to the conflict to make every effort to de-escalate the situation and continue to find ways to resolve the conflict peacefully on the basis of universally recognized principles and norms of international law", while noting that Ukraine "advocates a political settlement of the situation on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders".
• United Kingdom – Foreign and Commonwealth Office Spokesperson issued a statement saying that the United Kingdom is "deeply concerned by recent ceasefire violations on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and greatly regrets the loss of life". He also called on both sides to "respect the ceasefire and engage in dialogue to de-escalate the situation and avoid further casualties". In addition, he urged "both sides to show restraint and refrain from rhetoric that may increase tensions further" and stated that the United Kingdom reiterates its "support for the negotiation process facilitated by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group aimed at securing a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict".
• United States – Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Morgan Ortagus wrote that US condemns the "violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border" and urges the sides to "stop using force, avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the ceasefire" in her Twitter account. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to "immediately de-escalate the situation on the border, resume negotiations, and cease-fire".
  • US Senator Ed Markey posted a tweet saying that he stands with "Armenia as they protect their territorial integrity".
  • California State Senator Andreas Borgeas condemned Azerbaijan's military actions against Armenia as it "appears to be an orchestrated attempt to destabilize the region at the behest of Turkey".
  • Congressman Brad Sherman proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. If the proposal is approved by the US legislature, in 2021 Azerbaijan will be deprived of US defense funding, until the US President assures the Congress that the transfer of these funds does not threaten the Armenian civilian population. In addition, the congressmen appealed to the Department of Defense to submit a report to the legislature on the assistance worth $120 million provided to Azerbaijan in previous years. Although, it was later rejected by the US Congress.
• Vatican – Pope Francis said that he was "following with concern the recovery in recent days of armed tensions in the Caucasus region, between Armenia and Azerbaijan", wishing prayers for the "families of those who lost their lives during the clashes", and hoping that "with the commitment of the international community and through dialogue and the goodwill of the parties, a lasting peaceful solution can be reached, which has at heart the good of those beloved populations".

Partially recognised non-UN member states

• Artsakh – Vahram Poghosyan, spokesman for President of Artsakh, an unrecognised republic, which is de jure part of Azerbaijan, wrote that they are "ready to go back and forth in the trenches with our brothers in Tavush" on his Facebook page. Then, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh issued a statement, strongly condemning the "gross violation of the ceasefire regime committed by the Azerbaijani side" and noted that it considers the statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in support of the "provocations and violations of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan unacceptable".

References

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