Thursday, February 23 2023 12:12

ArmInfo. The International Court of Justice has satisfied Armenia's request, and Azerbaijan's groundless accusations of "mining" against Armenia have been dashed, Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan stated at a Cabinet meeting on  February 23.   

In its final ruling on February 22, the United Nations court observed  that "since 12 December 2022, the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh  and Armenia via the Lachin Corridor has been disrupted." The ICJ  ruled that Azerbaijan must "take all measures at its disposal to  ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the  Lachin Corridor in both directions." 

"The disruption on the Lachin Corridor has impeded the transfer of  persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin hospitalized in  Nagorno-Karabakh to medical facilities in Armenia for urgent medical  care. The evidence also indicates that there have been hindrances to  the importation into Nagorno-Karabakh of essential goods, causing  shortages of food, medicine and other life-saving medical supplies,"  the decision reads. 

"Lawyers have already commented on the legal aspect of the ruling.  But I would like to speak of its political impact. The International  Court thus confirmed that the Lachin corridor has been blocked since  December 12, 2022," he said, recalling that Baku claimed the opposite  on various international platforms.  "Thus, the final judicial  authority recorded Baku's attempts to deceive the international  community," Mr Pashinyan said. Moreover, the ICJ recorded  Azerbaijan's responsibility for blocking the Lachin corridor, which  means it does not seriously view Baku's claims about the so-called  environmental activists. 

The ICJ confirmed Armenia's position that, under the Trilateral  Statement of November 9, 2020, the Lachin corridor is under the  control of Russian peacekeeping forces not of Baku, and Azerbaijan is  obliged to guarantee free and security movement of people and  vehicles along the corridor. 

The ICJ clearly confirms the existence of Nagorno-Karabakh as an  international unit under the Trilateral Statement of November 9,  2020. 

"This statement and its points, including the ones on  Nagorno-Karabakh and on a contact line acquired international legal  importance," Mr Pashinyan said.  

The ICJ also rules that "disruption on the Lachin Corridor has  impeded the transfer of persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin  hospitalized in Nagorno-Karabakh to medical facilities in Armenia for  urgent medical care. The evidence also indicates that there have been  hindrances to the importation into Nagorno- Karabakh of essential  goods, causing shortages of food, medicine and other life-saving  medical supplies." "Thus, the Court confirmed a humanitarian crisis  in Nagorno-Karabakh," Mr Pashinyan said. 

The Court considers that Armenia has not placed before it sufficient  evidence that Azerbaijan is disrupting the supply of natural gas and  other utilities to the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. The reason is  that Armenia has no access to the gas control valve, with electricity  supply situation being the same. 

"The moment the necessary evidence is obtained, Armenia will be able  to apply to the Court again, and Armenia's request is most likely to  be satisfied," Mr Pashinyan said, saying that gas supply to Nagorno-  Karabakh has been resumed. 

"Azerbaijan must take essential steps to unblock the Lachin corridor.  The easiest step is to demand that the 'environmental activists'  unblock the Lachin corridor - and Azerbaijan's top-raking leaders  should make this call. In any case, absence of concrete steps by  Azerbaijan should cause concrete international consequences for it,"  Mr Pashinyan said.