On 12 April 2024, the Republic of Armenia participated in a first procedural hearing in the arbitration proceedings between Azerbaijan and Armenia under the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The hearing was held at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Peace Palace in The Hague, with Armenia’s delegation led by Dr. Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the Republic’s Representative on International Legal Matters.
Armenia’s environmental record speaks for itself, and it has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to the conservation of the region’s wildlife and preservation of the environment, including through its close engagement with the Bern Convention’s Standing Committee.
In contrast, Azerbaijan appears committed to continuing its cynical strategy of instrumentalizing alleged environmental concerns for political reasons. Azerbaijan’s military aggressions in recent years have caused serious environmental damage to the region by destroying forests, contaminating soil and lakes, and depleting the Sarsang Reservoir. The flora, fauna, and habitats of Nagorno-Karabakh are also imperiled by Azerbaijan’s incessant demolition and construction activities, which are being conducted in a transparent effort to prevent ethnic Armenians from returning to their homeland.
Armenia looks forward to vindicating and defending its position and interests in these proceedings, both by refuting Azerbaijan’s baseless claims, and, at the appropriate juncture of the arbitral proceedings, advancing its own claims seeking justice for Azerbaijan’s ongoing disregard of its environmental obligations under international law.
