Artsakh residents handed over a letter to the embassies of three European countries calling for the issue of their forced displacement to be raised at COP17.

ArmInfo. Against the backdrop of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) being held in Yerevan, Artsakh residents handed over letters to the embassies of three European countries, calling for the issue of forced displacement of the Artsakh population, the preservation of its cultural heritage, and the protection of the natural environment to be raised. The letters were handed over to the Swiss, Italian, and British embassies in the country.

In a conversation with journalists outside the Italian Embassy during the handover of the letter, Artsakh Public Council member Alvard Zakaryan said that a similar letter had previously been sent to diplomatic missions on behalf of the "No Protection of Nature Without Human Rights" public initiative. Electronically.

In the letter, they call for the issue of forced displacement of Artsakh residents to be raised at COP17, particularly in the context of targets 1, 3, and 22 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Furthermore, the authors of the letter call for support for the preservation of Artsakh's cultural heritage and historical sites, for their protection and conservation, and for the admission of an independent international monitoring mission. They also call for assistance in realizing the right of the people of Artsakh to a safe and dignified return to their homeland," Zakaryan said.

Other demands include ensuring international monitoring of the state of Artsakh's ecosystem, taking into account the damage caused to nature during military operations, including as a result of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus, and promoting accountability for violations of the rules of war.

The authors of the letter also call for the participation of Artsakh organizations in international discussions concerning their historical lands, natural resources, and cultural heritage. In particular, they call on countries to use existing diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan to advance these issues.

"COP17 cannot consider nature separately from people, whose sovereignty was formed inextricably with this natural environment." We express our readiness to meet with embassy representatives to present our concerns in more detail, provide relevant documents, and discuss specific diplomatic steps your country can take to address these issues. We also urge you to convey this statement to representatives of your government, including those participating in COP17," the letter reads.

According to Zakarian, the Armenian authorities are not raising this issue, and those who attempt to do so are subject to pressure. She expressed her belief that attempts are being made to hinder coverage of this topic in every possible way. Zakarian also reported that they were denied a pavilion in the COP17 Green Zone. However, she emphasized that this does not mean they should remain silent or stop raising these issues. "Attempts are being made to prevent large-scale protests in order to create the impression that there are no problems in Armenia. Therefore, we gather in small groups. "The only way out is to constantly raise these issues," noted the Artsakh Public Council member.

Zakarian went on to report that their first protest took place at the Swiss Embassy, where they had already handed over a letter. After that, the letter was handed over to the Italian Embassy. After that, she said, they intend to hand it over to the British Embassy and the UN Office in Yerevan. However, Zakarian noted that their letters often go unanswered. She also spoke about the obstacles faced in obtaining visas. According to her, many embassies refuse visas to Artsakh residents. "This is discriminatory against Artsakh residents, since I have previously traveled to many countries with an Artsakh passport." "And they don't hide the fact that they were given such an order by the Armenian Foreign Ministry," said a member of the Artsakh Public Council.

She reiterated her conviction that such actions are being taken to prevent Artsakh's issues from being raised on international platforms.

As a reminder, on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan, under the pretext of an "anti-terrorist operation," initiated a large-scale aggression against Artsakh, which led to the complete de-Armenization of the NKR. This was preceded by a nearly 10-month blockade of the republic. Since the enemy aggression that began in the fall of 2020, which culminated in the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in September 2023, over 150,000 Artsakh residents have lost their homeland and become refugees.