Thursday, June 29 2023 16:58

ArmInfo. On June 28, a regular  meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe took  place, at which the delegation of Armenia raised the issue of the  illegal blocking of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. The  Representation of the Republic of Armenia in the Council of Europe  reports.

The Permanent Representative of Armenia to the Council of Europe  Ambassador Arman Khachatryan delivered a speech at the Committee of  Ministers meeting, addressing the illegal Azerbaijani blockade of  Lachin Corridor, the gross violations of the ceasefire in Nagorno  Karabakh and ongoing provocations. He presented the latest attack by  Azerbaijan which left four Nagorno Karabakh soldiers dead. He  stressed that Azerbaijan is attempting to commit ethnic cleansing in  Nagorno Karabakh through the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor,  the installation of reinforced concrete barriers in the corridor,  interruptions in gas and electricity supply, intimidation of the  civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through hate speech and  threats. 

The Permanent Representative presented the Ensuring Free and Safe  Access through the Lachin Corridor resolution adopted by the  Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which warns  that the current situation could lead to the population of Nagorno  Karabakh leaving their homes, calls for a direct dialogue between  Baku and Stepanakert and urges an immediate deployment of a  fact-finding mission of the CoE.

Khachatryan noted that a PACE recommendation on Lachin Corridor  addressed to the Committee of Ministers is pointing out the  humanitarian and human rights crisis facing the Armenians in Nagorno  Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's unilateral actions. The Armenian  representative called on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of  Europe to take concrete steps to address the issues raised in the  PACE recommendation and react to the premeditated human rights crisis  in Nagorno Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan. 

An exchange of views took place during the meeting with PACE  President Tiny Kox and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human  Rights Dunja Mijatovic. The Armenian ambassador stressed the  importance of the involvement of PACE and the Human Rights  Commissioner in addressing the human rights and humanitarian crisis  in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the blockade of Lachin Corridor.