ArmInfo.. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received the Artsakh delegation headed by Acting Foreign Minister David Babayan.

ArmInfo. Critical public opinions about the Russian peacekeeping troops in Nagorno-Karabakh come from both Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Russia receives reprimands  from both sides. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated this  on December 23 during a press conference with his Azerbaijani  counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov following the results of negotiations in  Moscow, in response to a request to comment on the Armenian Prime  Minister's negative assessment of the activities of Russian  peacekeepers in Artsakh.

ArmInfo.Movement along the Lachin Corridor should be restored as a matter of urgency to prevent a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.   This is stated in a statement by Council of Europe Commissioner for  Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic.   "I have been closely following the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh  following the blocking of the road running through the Lachin  Corridor since 12 December. I am concerned that the prolonged  disruption in the movement of people, preventing some from reaching  their homes, and in access to essential goods and services, including  food supplies and urgent medical care, threatens the enjoyment of  human rights by the population of Nagorno-Karabakh", said today  Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic.  "Those responsible for maintaining public order and security of the  Corridor should take all the necessary steps to restore movement  along that road as a matter of urgency and prevent a deterioration of  the humanitarian situation. Furthermore, all relevant stakeholders  should avoid escalation of tensions.

ArmInfo.Official Yerevan commented on the reasons for its refusal of the Moscow meeting with the Azerbaijani side.

ArmInfo. The blockade of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor must be ended. This was stated on December 22 during a weekly briefing by official representative of  the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, when asked to comment  on the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh due to the blockade by  Azerbaijan of the only road connecting the republic with the outside  world.

ArmInfo. The key to saving Artsakh is in the hands of Armenia. Avetik Ishkhanyan, chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, expressed a similar opinion.

ArmInfo. Iran has always focused on territorial integrity and respect for internationally  recognized borders. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of  the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to the Republic of Armenia  Ambassador Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, stated this at the request of  journalists to present the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran  regarding the blockade of Artsakh on the sidelines of the conference  on the topic: "Centuries-old historical and cultural ties as a  guarantee of inseparable Armenian-Iranian friendship." 

ArmInfo.Permanent Representative of Armenia to the OSCE Armen Papikyan told the  participants of the regular meeting of the Permanent Council of the  Organization about the difficult humanitarian situation caused by the  deliberate blocking of the road passing through the Berdzor (Lachin)  corridor by Azerbaijan since December 12 and the disruption of the  supply of natural gas from Armenia to Artsakh for several days.

ArmInfo. The Collective Security Treaty Organization proceeds from the fact that the solution of the issue with the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, which Yerevan raises  at the international level, is beyond its area of responsibility.  CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas states.

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan is trying to carry out ethnic cleansing in Artsakh by using the  so-called environmental activists who closed the Lachin Corridor.  Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated  this on December 20 from the rostrum of the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia.

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan must be called to account for the blockade of Artsakh. This was tweeted by Liberal Member of the NSW Legislative Council Chris Rath.  "  Disturbing reports continue to flow from Artsakh, as it remains  blockaded by Azerbaijan.  Nobody should ever be prohibited from  accessing food and medical supplies, let alone 120000 people.  Azerbaijan must be called to account for the blockade of Artsakh," he  wrote.

ArmInfo.The crisis in Artsakh, caused by the blockade by Azerbaijan, continues. State  Minister of Artsakh Republic Ruben Vardanyan announced this on  December 20 in an address from his Facebook page.

ArmInfo. A humanitarian emergency in Artsakh is inevitable... Artsakh has been under  Azerbaijani blockade for more than 9 days. Taguhi Tovmasyan,  Chairwoman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human  Rights and Public Affairs, stated this.

ArmInfo.. President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan chaired an enlarged meeting of the Security Council which was focused on the military-political  situation created in Artsakh, the press service of the Artsakh  President reports.

ArmInfo.At the request of the Republic of Armenia, the UN Security Council will discuss the situation in the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor. This is stated in the  message of the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

ArmInfo. The Martakert-Karvachar road has been closed to Azerbaijanis since  December 12 and will not be open until the only road of life in  Artsakh is unblocked.  This was reported by the Artsakh media with  reference to the head of the administration of the Martakert region  Arsen Avanesyan.

ArmInfo.The CSTO considers the mission carried out by Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh to be very important for the entire region. CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas stated this on December 19 during a Moscow -Astana  -Bishkek - Yerevan Minsk video bridge in response to a question about  whether the Organization is taking any attention against the  background of reports of aggressive actions against Russian  peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh (by Azerbaijanis who blocked the  Stepankert-Goris road - ed. note).

ArmInfo. Within the framework of his working visit to Sweden, Secretary of the RA  Security Council Armen Grigoryan met with Minister of Foreign Affairs  of this country, Tobias Billstrom and  Chairman of the Foreign  Relations Committee of the Riksdag,  Aron Emilsson, as well as  members of the committee.

ArmInfo.Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina  Kaljurand made a statement, in connection with the blocking by  Azerbaijan of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia  and the outside world. 

ArmInfo.On December 14, Acting Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh David Babayan sent letters to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, OSCE  Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, Head of the  EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wictorin, Head of the CE  Office Martina Schmidt,