Armenia and ethnic Armenian authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh accuse Azerbaijan of violating the terms of the Moscow-brokered 2020 ceasefire agreement by closing the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which has led to severe shortages of food, medicines, fuel and other basic products in the predominantly Armenian-populated region.
They also charge that Azerbaijan’s actions amount to a policy of ethnic cleansings and urge the international community to prevent a “genocide” by putting pressure on Baku to restore free movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
Baku denies blockading Nagorno-Karabakh or carrying out any policy of ethnic cleansings in relation to the region’s Armenian population.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, highly appreciating the principled and fair positions of the UN Security Council members that remain faithful to their mandate to advance international security and peace, will continue to work on various platforms, including in the UN Security Council, taking consistent steps to unblock the Lachin corridor and resolve the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
The statement said that the August 16 urgent meeting of the UN Security Council “once again showed that, despite the false propaganda of Azerbaijan, the international partners are clearly aware of the fact of the dire humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and realize the importance of addressing it.”
The UN Security Council discusses the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh, New York, August 16, 2023.
“During this second discussion in the format of the UN Security Council, the assessments and targeted appeals addressed to Azerbaijan, in essence, complemented the clear positions expressed so far by various governments, international structures, and human rights organizations,” the Armenian ministry said.
“Noteworthy were the statements of the members of the UN Security Council and the EU representative reiterating that Azerbaijan is obliged to lift the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor in accordance with the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and the legally binding Orders of the UN International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6. It was unequivocally emphasized that the ongoing eight-month-long severe humanitarian situation created for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blockade should be resolved,” it added.
The statement said that “it is evident that Azerbaijan continues to distort the appeals of the international community, to look for false pretexts, not corresponding to reality, to avoid fulfilling its obligations and, by prolonging the humanitarian crisis, including through starvation, to subject the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.”
“Moreover, Azerbaijan tries to manipulate any ‘balanced’ approach of international actors, interpreting it as an explicit permission to continue its adopted policy.
“We emphasize the urgency of using all available international tools to eliminate the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and restore unimpeded movement in both directions through the Lachin corridor and ensure unhindered access of international humanitarian organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
Summarizing the discussions in New York, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Thursday that the very fact of the closure of the Lachin Corridor was highlighted at the UN Security Council, which he called the highest international instance.
Officials in Baku, meanwhile, claimed that the outcome of the meeting was more in favor of Azerbaijan as many representatives mentioned the possibility of Karabakh Armenians’ using alternative routes of supply.
Azerbaijan, in particular, suggests that a road via Agdam, an Azerbaijani-controlled town situated to the east of Nagorno-Karabakh, be used for supplies to the Armenian-populated region.
Authorities in Stepanakert reject this option, insisting that it is designed to legitimize the Azerbaijani blockade and cut Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia.