Hidalgo Urges Macron: France Should Leverage UN Security Council Position for Artsakh Resolution

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo delivered an appeal to French President Emmanuel Macron during a press conference held in Syunik Province, emphasizing the need for France to utilize its position on the United Nations Security Council to advocate for a resolution safeguarding the rights of the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

With a clear and straightforward message, Mayor Hidalgo stressed the importance of upholding international law in the ongoing Artsakh blockade. She noted that the population of Artsakh is enduring a besieged existence against their will, a situation that blatantly violates both international law and the ceasefire agreement of 2020.

Hidalgo went on to draw a striking parallel, likening the current conditions in Artsakh to genocide. Citing the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Gabriel Moreno Ocampo, she highlighted that the term "genocide" has been applied to describe the dire circumstances in the region. Hidalgo pointed out that four principles and points qualifying the situation as genocide have garnered recognition from the international community and experts.

Furthermore, Hidalgo revealed that the advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, responsible for preventing genocide, has employed the same term - "genocide" - to characterize the ongoing events. She described the situation as a brutal campaign by an authoritarian regime, tantamount to ethnic cleansing, targeting a people who are merely seeking their fundamental rights - rights that every individual and community should inherently possess.

The primary objective of Mayor Hidalgo's visit to the region, she declared, is to bear witness to the dire conditions and condemn the unfolding atrocities. Moreover, she issued a call to action directed at the French President, urging him to harness France's influential position on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that upholds the rights of the Artsakh population.

Mayor Hidalgo's impassioned plea highlights the international community's increasing concern for the people of Artsakh and the imperative to seek diplomatic avenues for their protection and justice.