Friday, June 16 2023 11:58

ArmInfo.Azerbaijan has launched an ethnic cleansing policy against Nagorno-Karabakh  residents, Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan stated at a Cabinet meeting on Friday. 

The establishment of an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor,  disruptions of electric energy and gas supplies, as well as a  6-month-long blockade, have extremely escalated the humanitarian  situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. A month ago Azerbaijan allowed some  movement along the Lachin corridor with the assistance of the  International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian  peacekeepers. However, yesterday any movement was blocked, with even  essential supplies stopped.

"In other words, no food is supplied to Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover,  even in emergency cases, local residents cannot get medical aid. All  this confirms our concern that Azerbaijan is implementing an ethnic  cleansing policy in Nagorno-Karabakh. In fact, these actions against  Nagorno-Karabakh have been launched. This all cannot be called other  than ethnic cleansing, with food, energy and gas supplied blocked,  and farmers being targets of Azerbaijani armed forces. Free movement  of even severe patients is being blocked," Mr Pashinyan said. 

Armenia's government must exert efforts to raise international  awareness of the developments. 

Yerevan insists on direct negotiations between Baku and Stepanakert  within international mechanisms guaranteeing rights and security of  the Nagorno-Karabakh people. "It is most important, and let us hope  necessary steps will be taken," Mr Pashinyan said. 

He pointed out a need for consistent work to normalize relations with  Azerbaijan and establish peace in the region though the issue is  extremely complicated. The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs are to hold a  meeting in Washington soon, and, hopefully, the progress recorded  during the previous meeting in Washington will be developed.  

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to recognize each other's territorial  integrity, and, in this context, Baku's attempts to escalate the  situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. 

"And now the next step needs to be done: to lay the ground for border  delimitation and refrain from border delimitation and demarcation  work. As to the points of the statement of November 9, 2020, related  to the unblocking of transport and economic links, I reiterate that  Armenia is ready for that based on the sovereignty and jurisdiction  on the countries via which the routes will run, with the sides'  interests and equality considered," Mr Pashinyan said. 

He considers the "corridor logic" unacceptable. 

"In this respect, I expect the international partners to avoid  Azerbaijan's provocative vocabulary," he said.