Monday, January 23 2023 23:00

ArmInfo. RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and crisis in Georgia.  The meeting was also  attended by the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to  Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin.  As the press service of the RA  Premier reports, the interlocutors discussed the situation in the  region, as well as issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation.

The decision on the deployment of the new civilian mission of the  European Union on the Armenian- Azerbaijani border was highlighted,  which will contribute to stability and security in the region.  Reference was also made to the humanitarian crisis in  Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the blocking of the Lachin Corridor.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that as a result of this, the  situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is aggravating day by day, schools and  kindergartens are not operating, healthcare institutions suffer a  severe shortage of medicine and are facing serious problems. Besides,  gas supply to Nagorno Karabakh has been suspended by Azerbaijan,  there is also a problem of electricity supply. Emphasizing the  targetted response of the international community to the created  situation, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized with pleasure the fact of the  resolutions recently adopted by the European Parliament.

Toivo Klaar expressed concern over the blocking of the Lachin  Corridor and stressed the need for the uninterrupted operation of the  corridor. He noted that the EU is interested in ensuring stability  and peace in the region and will continue to contribute to the  solution of this problem.

The parties exchanged thoughts on the deployment process of the new  civilian mission of the European Union, as well as on the course of  the Armenia-EU joint programs in the direction of the institutional  reforms implemented in the Republic of Armenia.  Since December 12,  2022, for 43 days now, the Azerbaijani side, under a far-fetched  environmental pretext, has blocked the only road connecting Artsakh  with the outside world. The population of the NKR has been in a  blockade for more than a month, deprived of basic means of  subsistence. Since January 9, Artsakh has been deprived of the  opportunity to receive electricity from Armenia, due to the  destructive actions of Azerbaijan. Rolling blackouts occur on a daily  basis in the republic.  Moreover, from noon on January 12, the enemy  side also interrupted the communication cable that provides the  country's population with Internet and telephone communications.  It  was restored only on January 14, thanks to the efforts of Russian  peacekeepers. We also add that on January 17, around noon, the enemy  side stopped the gas supply to Artsakh. By the evening, through  negotiations, it was possible to restore the gas supply to the NKR.   However, on January 18 in the morning gas supply to Artsakh has been  stopped again. Gas supply was resumed on the evening of January 20,  however on January 22 it was again stopped.