Monday, March 20 2023 11:56

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan is disregarding the ICJ ruling obliging it to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor, Yeghisheh Kirakosyan, Armenia's Representative for International Legal Affairs, stated at a meeting of the Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, RA Parliament, on March 20. 

The ruling is legally binding on Azerbaijan. However, is disregarding  the ICJ ruling at all the levels, and the Azerbaijani FM's letter  addressed to the U.N. Secretary General is evidence thereof. In his  turn, Armenia's FM addressed a letter in response to his Azerbaijani  counterpart. 

The U.N. Charter allows Armenia to apply for the U.S. Security  Council for forcing Azerbaijan to respect the ICJ ruling. However,  this practice has often failed as the U.N. Security Council permanent  members enjoy the right of veto. 

"Nevertheless, we have to work and our counterparts from the Ministry  of Foreign Affairs are working towards this, which is most important  regardless of any circumstances. Bilateral diplomatic work is  important as well, to ensure favorable discussions of the issue," Mr  Kirakosyan said.  

Committee Chairman Vladimir Vardanyan highlighted the importance for  each Armenian MP to raise the issue during their meetings with  foreign parliamentary delegations.  

"Today we are meeting a German delegation and we want all the MPs,  regardless of their political views, be of a unified opinion on  immediate unblocking of the Lachin corridor and implementation of the  ICJ ruling," he said. 

In its ruling the ICJ notes that "the Trilateral Statement provides,   inter alia, that the Lachin Corridor, "which will provide a   connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia . . . shall remain   under the control of the Russian Federation peacemaking forces". The   Statement further states that "Azerbaijan shall guarantee the   security of persons, vehicles and cargo moving along the Lachin   Corridor in both directions."