Friday, September 1 2023 15:40

ArmInfo.Spokesperson of the President of the European Council Charles Michel made a statement  on the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization.  Thus, the Spokesman's  statement notes, in part:

"President Michel has continued to be intensely engaged in advancing  the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process.  His efforts over the  past weeks, supported by Toivo Klaar, EUSR for the South Caucasus,  have focused as a priority on addressing the humanitarian situation  of Karabakh Armenians.  EUSR Klaar and President Michel's team have  been in frequent contact with Baku, Yerevan and representatives of  Karabakh Armenians to work out a solution for unblocking access.

The current humanitarian situation on the ground is deteriorating  rapidly; it is imperative to take steps to address the needs of the  local population.  European Council President Charles Michel has  proposed a step-by-step approach which would reflect a sequencing in  the full-fledged operation of the Lachin corridor and the opening of  the Agdam route.

Sequencing of these steps and the type of cargo that would be  delivered by each of these roads, as well as attendant procedures,  have been the core of the recent discussions.

The EU strongly believes the Lachin corridor must be unblocked, in  line with past agreements and the ICJ Order, and notes that the use  of the Agdam road to provide supplies can also be part of a concrete  and sustainable solution to the provision of urgent and daily basic  needs. Discussions on these elements had started following the last  meeting of the leaders in Brussels on 15 July 2023.

The EU side has also stressed the need for Baku to provide clarity to  Karabakh Armenians in terms of procedures for their movements through  Lachin corridor to and from Armenia.

In parallel, exchanges have also focused on restoring electricity and  gas supplies to Karabakh Armenians as soon as possible.

Beyond the immediate situation, the EU side has stressed the need to  address legacies of the conflict to facilitate a long- term  sustainable resolution.

Dialogue between Baku and representatives of Armenians living in the  former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast will be essential in this  regard. The rights and security of Karabakh Armenians must be  guaranteed and discussions on specific modalities should start as  soon as possible.

The dialogue between Baku and the Karabakh Armenians needs to  strengthen confidence and trust. To this end the EU has provided  various suggestions for international support to this process, as  well as for engagement on the ground to underpin the implementation  of agreements reached.

All the above efforts have only one goal: ensure irreversible  normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan for the benefit  of all populations on the ground. It is now time for courageous  compromise solutions, also in light of today's escalation.

The EU has been engaged with other international actors in these  efforts, through regular personal contacts and exchanges of views on  how best address the current unsustainable situation.