UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the continuing ceasefire in and around Nagorno-Karabakh on Friday, underlining that the Organization stands ready to provide humanitarian support to meet the needs of all civilians impacted by conflict. A ceasefire was agreed through a joint statement by the president of Azerbaijan, prime minister of Armenia, and president of Russia, on Nov. 9, leading to the deployment of several thousand Russian peacekeepers to the enclave and border regions, after six weeks of escalating conflict over Nagorno-Karabkh. Thousands were reportedly killed and more than 100,000 displaced. "The secretary-general takes note of the Dec.3 joint statement on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries", said the statement issued by the UN Spokesperson." He welcomes the continuing adherence to the ceasefire in accordance with the Nov. 9 joint statement...and calls on all concerned to continue implementing their obligations, notably as they relate to international humanitarian law and human rights law." Guterres made clear that the UN "is prepared to respond to the humanitarian needs in all areas affected by the conflict, and to scale up ongoing assistance in Armenia and Azerbaijan, as required. He calls on all relevant actors to cooperate fully with the United Nations entities to ensure their unfettered access." The UN chief further urged Armenia and Azerbaijan "to resume negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE's Minsk Group Co-Chairs to reach a lasting peaceful settlement." The Group's co-chairs are France, Russia and the United States, and a part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). "He encourages the Governments and the people of Armenia and Azerbaijan to embark on a path of dialogue to foster regional peace, stability, and prosperity", the statement concluded. — UN news
