Monday, July 24 2023 21:26

ArmInfo. Currently, the main obstacle to peace are the aggressive and illegal actions of  Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh, especially in the Lachin corridor, as well as along the borders of Armenia. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with the French   Le Monde magazine.

The Armenian prime minister recalled that the Lachin corridor is the  only road linking the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh with the outside  world. <Since December (since December 12, 2022, ed. note) Azerbaijan  has severely restricted access to the corridor under the far-fetched  pretext of environmental protest. Now, Baku has gone even further,  establishing a checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor, hindering  the movement of the International Committee of the Red Cross. This  means that the supply of food, medicine and basic necessities is  severely disrupted. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the  European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of  Europe and other influential organizations have warned of a growing  humanitarian crisis>, he said.

According to the head of the RA Cabinet of Ministers, by blocking  access to people and vehicles, Azerbaijan deliberately disrupts the  supply of gas and electricity to Nagorno-Karabakh. "These actions  have coincided with increasingly aggressive rhetoric, propaganda, and  even Azerbaijani forces opening fire on local farmers. The aim is  clear: to make life as difficult as possible for the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh, and ultimately force them to leave their homes. It  is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. If the international  community does not react, it will be another failure of humanity," he  said.

According to Pashinyan, the international community should take bold  steps to end the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, as was done for  Sarajevo. The RA Prime Minister pointed out that the blockade is a  violation of Azerbaijan's legally established obligations and, most  importantly, a violation of many similar decisions of the  International Court of Justice. He also recalled the February  decision of the International Court of Justice, according to which  Azerbaijan must "take all measures necessary to guarantee the  uninterrupted movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both  directions through the Lachin Corridor in both directions". However,  five months passed, and the situation worsened.

"The European Union has been clear that Azerbaijan's actions are  unacceptable. Now the EU must use its levers of pressure on Baku as  an energy partner to comply with the binding decision of the  International Court of Justice. The European Parliament and various  national parliaments of EU member states have passed resolutions  calling on the EU to do just that>, he said.

The PM stressed the need for an official dialogue between Baku and  the democratically elected authorities of Stepanakert, the  effectiveness of which requires the creation of an international  mechanism and guarantees from international partners to ensure  security and fulfill obligations.  According to him, the rights and  security of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh are a key issue  that needs to be addressed in order to achieve a dignified and  lasting peace in our region. Other issues must also be addressed.

At the same time, Pashinyan pointed out that Azerbaijan still refuses  to recognize internationally recognized borders, occupies part of the  sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and holds prisoners of  war that they committed to return in 2020. 

" This should not be tolerated. The consistent torpedoing of the  peace process must have consequences.  Otherwise, the Azerbaijani  forces, which besieged Nagorno-Karabakh, will consider that they are  free and can act with impunity," he said.