What Azerbaijan carried out in Artsakh in 2023 was a deliberate  campaign of starvation, blockade, military attack and destruction -  diplomat 

ArmInfo.  What Azerbaijan carried out in Artsakh in 2023 was a deliberate campaign of starvation, blockade, military attack and destruction. This was  written on his Facebook page by former Armenian Foreign Minister  Vardan Oskanyan. 

The diplomat noted that in recent weeks, support for the right of  return of the indigenous Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who were  forcibly displaced as a result of Azerbaijan's brutal blockade and  military offensive in 2023, has been rapidly growing in the  democratic world. "Yesterday, eighty-seven members of the US House of  Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio  calling on the US to take immediate action to ensure the "collective,  safe and dignified return" of these people. 

This initiative was preceded by resolutions in the parliaments of  Belgium and the European Parliament, as well as the launch of the  Swiss Peace Initiative. More than 100 British parliamentarians also  expressed their support. The international consensus is clear: ethnic  cleansing cannot be the last word on the Nagorno- Karabakh issue," he  noted. 

Oskanyan emphasized that the ten-month siege of Lachin deprived the  Armenian civilian population of food, medicine, fuel and medical  care. He recalled that the siege ended with a military invasion, as a  result of which hundreds of people were killed, and the remaining  Armenian population was forced to flee.  Azerbaijan then began  systematically destroying Armenian homes, churches, monuments and  cemeteries, he said, not only to drive out the people but also to  erase their history and deprive them of a future.

"Moreover, Azerbaijan continues to hold hostage the leadership of  Artsakh, prisoners of war and civilians.  The letter of the US House  of Representatives is not just symbolic. It is a test of America's  commitment to the values it proclaims. 

The signatories rightly remind Secretary of State Rubio that  international law does not allow mass deportations to go unpunished.  If the United States and its allies do not insist on the right of  return of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, they will not only  encourage aggression, but also create a dangerous precedent for the  entire world," the diplomat is sure. 

Oskanyan believes that this is precisely why the Swiss Peace  Initiative is of crucial importance. The diplomat emphasized that it  provides an international negotiating platform to ensure the safe and  secure return of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to their homes.  "The initiative states that displaced persons cannot be expected to  trust a regime that has ethnically cleansed them. An international  presence must guarantee their safety, preserve their cultural  heritage, and ensure their viability. Instead of advancing this  vision, the current leadership of Armenia seeks to destroy it. Nikol  Pashinyan's statement that "the Karabakh issue is closed" is a  betrayal of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and seriously undermines  Armenia's moral authority and diplomatic position," he continued.  Oskanyan believes that once Nikol Pashinyan resigns or is removed  from power, Armenia will regain its voice, values, and vision. 

"The threat of a new war will be reduced. The country's strategic  position will be strengthened, since Pashinyan was already associated  with failure. His authority is exhausted, his allies are weakened,  and his leadership is not trusted either abroad or at home. Under  him, Armenia has lost territory, lives, and dignity.  Recent polls  show that his rating has fallen to about 13%. A new government, based  on national goals and principles, can choose a new path - the path of  sovereignty and solidarity with its people. It can restore hope to  the displaced, engage openly and decisively with allies, and lead  Armenia to its rightful place," the former Armenian Foreign Minister  concluded.