Nagorno Karabakh -=- ARTSAKH

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[MosJan]

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Canada - March 6 2023

5 dead in new Azerbaijan-Armenia clash over Karabakh

Reuters - Azerbaijani troops and ethnic Armenians exchanged gunfire on Sunday in Azerbaijan's contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, killing at least five people, according to reports from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh was the focal point of two wars that have pitted Azerbaijan against Azerbaijan in the more than 30 years since both ex-Soviet states have achieved attendance.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said two servicemen were killed in an exchange of fire after Azerbaijani troops stopped a convoy it suspected of carrying weapons from the region's main town to outlying areas. It said the convoy had used an unauthorized road.

Armenia's foreign ministry said three officials from the Karabakh interior ministry were killed. It said the convoy had been carrying documents and a service pistol and dismissed as "absurd" Azerbaijani allegations that weapons were being carried.

Nagorno-Karabakh has long been recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan, though its population is made up predominantly of ethnic Armenians.

Armenian forces took control of Karabakh in a war that gripped the region as Soviet rule was collapsing in the early 1990s. Azerbaijan recaptured large swathes of territory in a six-week conflict in 2020 that ended with a truce and the dispatch of Russian peacekeepers, who remain in the region.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have met several times as part of efforts to resolve the conflict, but periodic violence has hurt peace efforts.

For the past three months, Azeri environmentalists have been blockading the Lachin corridor linking Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, saying they oppose mining operations in the region.

Armenia says the protesters are political activists acting at the behest of Azerbaijan's authorities.

The World Court ordered Azerbaijan last month on Wednesday to ensure free movement through the Lachin corridor.

(Reporting Naila Bagirova, writing by Ron Popeski, editing by Marguerita Choy)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/5-dead-in-new-azerbaijan-armenia-clash-over-karabakh-1.6299915

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Armenpress.am

NATO concerned over the incident in Artsakh

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20:36, 6 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. Javier Colomina, the special representative of the NATO Secretary General for the Caucasus and Central Asia, referred to the shooting of a police car by the Azerbaijani armed forces and the death of people in Artsakh.

“Very concerned with reports of deadly incident in vicinity of Stepanakert. This incident demonstrates the urgency to find solutions for outstanding issues at the negotiation table. NATO supports the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, ARMENPRESS reports, Colomina wrote.

Three Nagorno Karabakh police officers were killed as a result of an ambush by a sabotage team of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on March 5. The officers of the Passport and Visa Department of the Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh were attacked around 10:00. They were in their service vehicle at the time of the ambush. On March 6, the Russian MoD said in its daily bulletin that the attack was initiated by the Azerbaijani side. Two Azerbaijanis have been also killed, one is injured.

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Armenia again calls for international presence in Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin Corridor

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14:07, 7 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan on March 7 held a meeting with the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Special Envoy for South Caucasus Brice Roquefeuil.

Grigoryan and Roquefeuil discussed the situation around Lachin Corridor and the resulting grave humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh, Grigoryan’s office said in a read-out. They underscored the necessity for implementing the binding ruling by the International Court of Justice regarding the opening of the Lachin Corridor.

Secretary Armen Grigoryan drew Roquefeuil’s attention to the March 5 terror attack by the Azerbaijani military in Nagorno Karabakh and emphasized the necessity for international presence in Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin Corridor.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1105775.html?fbclid=IwAR1Yvj33STpGBOK75_lkLJcf7NTm5y5194HE9BO62Z0_R5Dyuf2gMTq5OD0

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Shameless EU, this is not an incident. This is terrorisms by a dictator who does whatever he wants and the West keeps quiet!

March 7 2023

Armenia – Azerbaijan: EU deplores fatal incident on Karabakh line of contact

NEWS PROVIDED BY

EU NEIGHBOURS east

March 07, 2023, 12:41 GMT

The EU deplores the outbreak of violence on the Karabakh Line of Contact, which led to at least five deaths on 5 March.

The circumstances of the fatal incident should be fully investigated, said Peter Stano, the EU’s lead spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy, in a statement.

“We urge all stakeholders to show restraint in order to prevent any further actions which could further undermine regional stability and threaten the peace process,” says Peter Stano.

Find out more

Press release

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/620682671/armenia-azerbaijan-eu-deplores-fatal-incident-on-karabakh-line-of-contact

 

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March 7 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh claims Azerbaijan offered ‘integration’ or ‘tougher measures’

7 March 2023

ByIsmi AghayevandAni Avetisyan

Nagorno-Karabakh’s President, Arayik Harutyunyan, said on Monday that Azerbaijan had threatened ‘tougher and more drastic steps’ if Nagorno-Karabakh did not agree to integration with Azerbaijan.

This comes as Nagorno-Karabakh approaches the end of its third month under blockade, after Azerbaijani protesters obstructed the Lachin Corridor in December.

Over the past months, the region’s electricity and gas supply, which passes through Azerbaijan-controlled territories, has also been repeatedly disrupted.

Speaking at Monday’s meeting of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Security Council, Harutyunyan said that they had refused Baku’s demands for the region to ‘integrate’ with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan considers Nagorno-Karabakh to be territory of Azerbaijan temporarily under the control of Russian peacekeeping forces, while Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh claim that Azerbaijan is attempting to effect a ‘genocide’ of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population.

‘We did not accept [and] do not accept, and today I want to state again that it is not only a decision of the Security Council, but the overwhelming majority of our people accept that we will not deviate from our right to independence and self-determination’, said Harutyunyan. ‘And that means that in the near future, we will have various developments, situations that we will have to face.’

The Security Council meeting came a day after the death of three Nagorno-Karabakh police officers and two Azerbaijani soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijani authorities claimed to have received information that a vehicle was transporting ammunition from Armenia, and stated that the police officers on board opened fire in response to demands to stop for inspection. Stepanakert maintains that the minibus that came under fire was on a regular police patrol.

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said another ‘convoy’ along the road had been spotted, this time escorted by Russian peacekeepers. They called this is ‘unacceptable’ and a ‘gross violation’ of the 2020 ceasefire agreement.

Following the incident, the Azerbaijani authorities repeated their demand that Azerbaijani checkpoints be installed on the Lachin Corridor, which connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Both Yerevan and Stepanakert have repeatedly and firmly rejected such offers.

Armenia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL that Armenia’s position on the matter of checkpoints had not changed since last week’s attack, which Yerevan described as an act of terrorism.

In a visit to Baku in late February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that establishing checkpoints on the corridor, which according to the 2020 ceasefire agreement should be controlled by Russian peacekeepers, was ‘not envisaged’.

‘But it is possible to dispel, by technical means, suspicions that the corridor is not functioning as intended’, added the minister.

Accusations and denials

The announcement also followed two meetings between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan in late February and early March, the only such meetings to have taken place since the region’s blockade began on 12 December.

President Harutyunyan said that Azerbaijan had expressed its ultimatum through ‘its channels’ following the meetings, stating that there would be ‘no solution to the current issues’ if Stepanakert did not agree to integration.

The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities stated that the meetings did not concern the region’s political status, instead focusing on ‘technical issues’: the opening of the Lachin Corridor, restoration of the electricity supply from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, restoration of the region’s gas supply, and resuming mining operations in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Harutyunyan noted that during the second meeting, an Azerbaijani representative had raised the issue of integration, but was met with objection from his Nagorno-Karabakh counterparts.

‘We have two options: either we have to continue the struggle, or if there are people in the public who think that the proposal put forward by Azerbaijan should be accepted, people can speak about their civil rights. They have the right to say that we have not chosen the right path, to formalise their statements, and to establish a new government in the country’, Harutyunyan said.

The spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, Aykhan Hajizadeh, told Meydan TV that Azerbaijan ‘did not threaten the Armenian community living in Nagorno-Karabakh’.

On Monday, Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry also stated that ‘Armenian troops should be completely withdrawn from the territory of Azerbaijan’ and repeated accusations that Armenia was laying mines in Nagorno-Karabakh.

No Armenian troops are officially stationed in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the UN’s International Court of Justice in February rejected a request from Baku to order Armenia to stop planting landmines in ‘areas to which Azerbaijani civilians will return in Azerbaijan’s territory’.

The statement continued by saying that, if the demands stated were not met, Azerbaijan would be ‘forced to take absolutely necessary measures using all possibilities to disarm and neutralise illegal armed forces’.

https://oc-media.org/nagorno-karabakh-claims-azerbaijan-offered-integration-or-tougher-measures/

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Armenpress.am

The peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan should also include Nagorno Karabakh. Louis Bono

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16:01, 8 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 8, ARMENPRESS. In order to have a sustainable, lasting and balanced peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it must include Nagorno Karabakh, ARMENPRESS reports the US Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Senior Advisor on Caucasus Negotiations of the US State Department, told "Azatutyun" radio, referring to the question of whether Nagorno-Karabakh will be part of the peace process.

"To have a sustainable, lasting and balanced peace agreement, it must include Nagorno-Karabakh, and we are committed to bringing it to end. We recognize its importance. First of all, Nagorno Karabakh will be part of the peace process. I think both sides accepted that. But, as I have already said, we are not here to impose conditions on any agreement or arrangement. It is important that the parties themselves come to an agreement. And we will work with both sides. President Aliyev said in Munich that he will appoint someone who will cooperate with the representatives of Karabakh. I think it already happened last week. And during the conversation with me, he mentioned that he is ready to continue those discussions. So we are optimistic that we can work with the parties in that direction. But it won't be easy. It will require a lot of hard work and commitment from all sides," Bono said.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1105862.html?fbclid=IwAR3nvgZ7I3h3_LMxwCvoDEjGl0ANJ9GFA4PCZi9-iKxPNILkGoWndpr7ge0

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Armenpress.am

U.S. Ambassador visits entrance of Lachin corridor, reiterates Blinken’s call to reopen it immediately

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12:21, 10 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS. United States Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien traveled to the entrance of the Lachin corridor, which has been closed to normal traffic for almost three months, the United States Embassy announced in a statement Friday.

“Ambassador Kvien traveled to the entrance of the Lachin corridor, which has been closed to normal traffic for almost three months. Syunik governor Robert Ghukasyan briefed the Ambassador on the effects of the ongoing Lachin corridor blockage, including the impact on hundreds of separated families. He highlighted the support the government has been providing to those affected by the blockage. The Ambassador reiterated Secretary Blinken’s call to reopen the Lachin corridor immediately,” the US embassy statement reads.

The Lachin Corridor has been blockaded by Azerbaijan for almost three months.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1105978.html?fbclid=IwAR3h19br13pYuawhCsQ9LHFt1qmE6N-IvEOzhFwpknQVifSa9fttxBhJ2Xw

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Armenpress.am

Artsakh in focus at the Future Armenian Convention

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16:15, 11 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, ARMENPRESS. 93,7% of participants in the first the Future Armenian Convention think that the entire Armenian Diaspora ought to assume responsibility for Artsakh rather than leave it for Armenia and its citizens, as well as residents of Artsakh to solve the issue.

The results of the vote during the first pan-Armenian Citizens’ Assembly were released on March 11 by the convention’s voting commission chairman Arik Gevorgyan.

Gevorgyan said that the Armenian nation must not be afraid of victories.

31% of participants voted in favor of the opinion that so far the efforts by Armenia, Diaspora communities, Armenian organizations and individuals aimed at the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide have been effective, but now the pan-Armenian efforts must be aimed at solving security-related issues. But another 31% believe that the efforts haven’t been productive and corrections are needed.

“61% of participants voted in favor of the opinion that it is our duty to preserve our historical-cultural heritage and pass it down to our next generations, and the state and Diaspora Armenians must spend as much resources as needed for this goal and carry out the work effectively,” he said.

Summing up the first day of the convention, Gevorgyan said the biggest concern during all discussions is the issue of Artsakh.

“Everyone is concerned about it, every Armenian is concerned, Artsakh is a part of us,” Gevorgyan said.

Another issue which was discussed is the Diaspora’s role in the development of Armenia, that the “Diaspora must have a role in the development of Armenia both with money, knowledge and resources, and feel itself as a part of the homeland, because Armenia belongs to all Armenians”, and that the Diaspora shouldn’t be viewed simply as a donator and the homeland as a “beggar”.

 

 

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Mehr News Agency

March 11 2023

Armenia not to sign peace treaty without security guarantees

TEHRAN, Mar. 11 (MNA) – Armenia will not sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan without negotiating security guarantees for Nagorno-Karabakh, said the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigoryan.

“There is no question that agreements to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue need to be reached, and our understanding with our international partners is that the peace treaty could be finalized if there is progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, if there are guarantees of ensuring [the Karabakh Armenians’] security and rights, and if Armenia is certain that there will be no ethnic cleansing in Karabakh," Grigoryan told Azatutyun.am., according to Massispost website.

Grigoryan said that such guarantees could include the establishment of a “demilitarized zone” around Karabakh or “international presence” in the Armenian-populated territory. He indicated that Baku and Yerevan have reached no agreements on that so far.

Grigoryan said that the Azerbaijani side is not interested in negotiating in good faith. He pointed to the March 5 armed incident near Stepanakert which left three Karabakh police officers and two Azerbaijani soldiers dead.

Armenian forces took control of Karabakh in a war that gripped the region as Soviet rule was collapsing in the early 1990s. Azerbaijan recaptured large swathes of territory in a six-week conflict in 2020 that ended with a truce and the dispatch of Russian peacekeepers, who remain in the region.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have met several times as part of efforts to resolve the conflict, but periodic violence has hurt peace efforts.

SKH/PR

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/198366/Armenia-not-to-sign-peace-treaty-without-security-guarantees

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Armenpress.am

The former NATO Secretary General called on Aliyev to immediately stop the blockade of Artsakh

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17:40, 14 March 2023

YERERVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. Former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to immediately open the Lachin Corridor and stop the blockade of Artsakh, ARMENPRESS reports, Rasmussen announced during a briefing with journalists in Jermuk.

"Yesterday I had meetings in Yerevan, and today I visited the southern regions of Armenia in order to see with my own eyes the consequences of Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia. I am in Jermuk, and the mayor told me what a negative impact the Azeri attack had on the city, particularly on the tourist life. Today I visited the beginning of Lacin Corridor. As you know, that corridor is the only link between Armenia and the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. That road has been under blockade since December of last year. This blockade is neither humane nor legal. I met with people who live in Nagorno-Karabakh and they told me about the critical situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The blockade means that only very small amounts of food or medicine can be delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh, which means a shortage of food and life-saving medicine in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are facing a humanitarian crisis that could turn into a humanitarian disaster. That blockade is illegal. A few weeks ago, the International Court of Justice made a decision obliging Azerbaijan to ensure free and safe movement through the Lachin Corridor. The decision is binding, which means that Azerbaijan is obliged to open the corridor for free movement. I send a message to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and tell him to lift the blockade immediately," said Rasmussen.

He reminded that he last visited Armenia in 2012 as the Secretary General of NATO. "A lot has changed since that day, and I met the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, and expressed satisfaction with the efforts they are making to strengthen democracy in Armenia. I am here at the invitation of the Armenian government to help Armenia strengthen its ties with the European Union and the West in general," he said.

 

 

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Armenpress.am

The international community should put maximum pressure on Azerbaijan to solve the humanitarian crisis in NK. Rasmussen

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19:09, 14 March 2023

YERERVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. International mechanisms should be created to guarantee the rights and security of the NK population, ARMENPRESS reports, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO Secretary General, the founding chairman of the international political consulting organization Rasmussen Global, told the journalists.

"We must do everything to reach a lasting and just peace treaty. A very important element in that agreement should be the guarantee of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. And to guarantee these rights and security, we must have international mechanisms that will monitor, control and guarantee them," he said.

Referring to Armenia-EU relations, Rasmussen mentioned that they would like to cooperate very closely with the Armenian government.

"It will be a broad cooperation that will touch on broad topics. Naturally, we are talking about political support from the EU. I think that it is very necessary now that we raise awareness that there is a humanitarian crisis in NK. And the international community should put maximum pressure on Azerbaijan to resolve this issue," he said.

He emphasized that they want to support the Armenian government to raise the dialogue with the EU to an even higher level, which will also include a dialogue on security policy.

"The EU has a wide range of tools that can be useful to Armenia. I think that Armenia needs even more international partners than it has today," he said, noting that military cooperation with Armenia was not discussed in detail.

In conclusion, Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that the EU has a European peace system, which can also be a framework for cooperation between Armenia and the EU.

 

 

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Armenpress.am

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be settled as soon as possible. Scholz

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20:13, 14 March 2023

YERERVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. Germany is ready to provide its support in the direction of finding a long-term and feasible solution to the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh for the benefit of the local residents, ARMENPRESS reports, TASS informed, referring to the statement made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a joint press conference with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev.

"Our joint goal should be finding a long-term and feasible solution to this conflict for the benefit of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh," he said, adding that the peaceful settlement of the conflict should be based on preserving the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the placement of the European Union Civilian Mission (EUMA) in Armenia, the head of the German government noted that Berlin supports it and ensures the leadership of the mission. The German Chancellor noted that the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should take place as soon as possible.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106316.html?fbclid=IwAR1lno-iFcxtsGaAlRCTd_YZ-K7_d_zAriBJIbnIEA3ugIo7trLATDHYOeg

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News.am

Armenia - March 15 2023

European Parliament: Guaranteeing Karabakh people’s rights, security is necessary for stable settlement

18:45, 15.03.2023

The European Parliament has published a report on EU-Armenia relations, where the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the Nagorno-Karabakh issue have been addressed, too.

It was noted that the ceasefire signed after the 44-day war in 2020 is not being observed; moreover, the ceasefire has been violated several times, leading to hundreds of casualties and the occupation of the sovereign territory of the country in the east and southeast of Armenia by Azerbaijani troops.

The report notes that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has greatly hindered the development and stability of the South Caucasus region and affects European stability more broadly.

The document reaffirms that, to be effective, the Armenia-Azerbaijan comprehensive peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of Armenia's sovereign territory, the rights and security of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict-affected regions, as well as the prompt and safe return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes.

The document mentions as well the blocking of civilian traffic through the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. The EU is seriously concerned about the blockade of the Lachin corridor, calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the freedom and security of movement through the corridor, as defined by the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, and calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve all concerns related to the operation of the Lachin corridor through dialogue and through consultation with all parties involved.

The report calls for international humanitarian organizations, especially the United Nations, to be granted access to Nagorno-Karabakh, and reminds that currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross is allowed to enter the region, which is not enough to accurately assess the conditions and needs of the local population.

The European Parliament condemns the torture of prisoners of war during the September fighting, the harassment and extrajudicial reprisals against civilians, including the elderly, in 2020 and early 2021.

The European Parliament condemns as well Turkey's expansionist and destabilizing role in the South Caucasus, including by sending Syrian mercenaries to fight for Azerbaijan against Armenia in the second Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020, and believes that in order to play a constructive role in the region, Turkey should reconsider its unconditional assistance to Azerbaijan, and take tangible steps towards the normalization of relations with Armenia.

Therefore, it strongly supports the initiative taken by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia.

https://news.am/eng/news/749892.html

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Armenpress.am

MEP Nathalie Loiseau calls for UNSC action for all UN humanitarian agencies to have access to Nagorno Karabakh

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09:36, 21 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan continues its blockade of Lachin Corridor – Nagorno Karabakh’s only road to the outside world - under fake environmental pretexts.

Despite numerous calls by the international community to open the corridor, as well as the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan is still keeping the corridor blocked. Nagorno Karabakh is under blockade for already 100 days. Only the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian peacekeepers have access to Nagorno Karabakh and attempt to somewhat mitigate the worsening crisis. Azerbaijan is regularly trying to mislead the international community by showing the Red Cross and Russian peacekeeping vehicles as they pass along the corridor to advance its narrative that the road is open. However, these manipulations fail because the international community is calling for the immediate lifting of the blockade.

The United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.

Member of the European Parliament Nathalie Loiseau from France says she cannot understand that only the ICRC and Russian troops are allowed to use the Lachin Corridor and that the world watches silently.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, MEP Loiseau emphasized that the blockade of Lachin Corridor must be immediately lifted and the UN Security Council must form a fact-finding mission and demand all UN humanitarian agencies to have access into Nagorno Karabakh.

ARMENPRESS: It has now been 100 days since Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world. The International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to open the corridor, but Azerbaijan ignores the ruling. In this case, don’t you think that there should be sanctions to force Azerbaijan to open the corridor?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: If one asks for sanctions, he or she must be certain they can be adopted. I don’t know if the UN Security Council is ready for this. Strong links between Russia and Azerbaijan already prevented the UNSC from delivering a statement last year.

But there is a new reality: the decision taken by the ICJ and the fact that Baku has so far disregarded it.

ARMENPRESS: Does the international community consider it realistic to impose sanctions? And what has prevented the international community from doing this so far? What role can the European Parliament play in forcing Azerbaijan to end its policy?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: The UNSC should decide a fact-finding mission and demand that all humanitarian UN agencies can reach the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. I cannot understand that only the ICRC and Russian troops are allowed to use the Lachin Corridor and that the world watches silently. The European Parliament has voted two reports, one on Armenia and the other on Azerbaijan. I co-authored the report on Armenia and amended the one on Azerbaijan to ensure they don’t contradict each other. The European Parliament’s position is crystal clear: The blockade of the Lachin Corridor must stop.

ARMENPRESS: As a result of the blockade, the people of Artsakh are facing a serious humanitarian crisis, there are widespread shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies. With these actions Azerbaijan demonstrates its policy of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. In this case, how do you imagine the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and guaranteeing the security of the Armenian people of Artsakh?

MEP Nathalie Loiseau: It is time for confidence measures to take place, like the freeing of all war prisoners, the return of bodies of soldiers and civilians to their homeland, transparency on missing people and full protection of cultural heritage. Peace negotiations must be built on Helsinki principles.

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1106717.html?fbclid=IwAR3K4TIWloozU_EovucaRBagM43Cd40Ldg2ePLlEQ4zSVzgIm-eLiByALtY

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Armenpress.am

Any status of Artsakh within Azerbaijan would be tantamount to ethnic cleansing and genocide of Armenians – Ombudsman

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14:24, 21 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. On March 21, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh published an ad hoc trilingual report on the violations of individual and collective human rights as a result of the 100-day blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

The report comprehensively and in detail presents data on the violations of 7 individual rights, 5 rights of vulnerable groups and 4 collective rights, which reflect the deepening humanitarian crisis and the genocidal policy of Azerbaijan towards the people of Artsakh. The document also contains 24 pictures and 27 human stories about the blockade, as well as 46 useful documents since 2016 on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and the violations of the rights of Artsakh people in its context.

In parallel with the complete blockade, Azerbaijan deliberately disrupts the normal operation of the vital infrastructure of Artsakh – the gas and electricity supplies, mobile and Internet communications with the aim to further aggravate the already severe humanitarian crisis and cause human suffering to the people of Artsakh.

The continuous blockade by Azerbaijan, disruption of the operation of vital infrastructure, as well as regularly and consistently carried out armed attacks and threats of use of force are aimed at subjecting Artsakh to ethnic cleansing and destroying the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh by physical and psychological terror and creation of unbearable living conditions.

Below are presented some basic data reflected in the Report on human rights violations as a result of the 100-day blockade:

• The movement of people passing through the Stepanakert-Goris highway (along the Lachin corridor) has decreased by about 178 times (1,376 entries and departures instead of 245,000);
• Almost 43 times less car traffic was recorded on the road compared to what should have been in case of no blockade (2,154 car entries and departures, performed only by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers, instead of 92,000);
• Approximately 11 times less vital cargo was imported compared to what should have been in case of no blockade (3,707 tons instead of 40,000 tons);
• A total of about 3,900 people, including 570 children, were unable to return to their homes due to the blockade;
• Due to the suspension of the pre-planned operations, about 900 citizens lost the opportunity to solve their health problems via operations;
• Azerbaijan has completely or partially interrupted the gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh for a total of 34 days;
• The electricity supply from Armenia to Artsakh has been completely cut for 71 days now, which led to the introduction of 6-hour rolling blackouts followed by numerous accidents;
• According to preliminary estimates, about 9,800 people have actually lost their jobs and sources of income (including cases of job retention), which is more than 50% of the total number of private sector employees;
• The disruption of the gas and electricity supplies has led to unplanned deforestation – about 6,200 more trees were cut, which, in its turn, will create additional and long-term problems in terms of ensuring a healthy environment;
• The country's economy suffered loss in the amount of about USD 190 million, which led to the failure to meet the projected annual GDP figure of about 21% (USD 903 million);
• The construction of 32.6 km road, tens of kilometers of water pipeline, irrigation systems for thousands of hectares of land, 3,717 appartments, more than 40 social and industrial infrastructural facilities has been stopped;
• A number of violations of rights are more pronounced in case of vulnerable groups, in particular 30,000 children, 9,000 people with disabilities, 20,000 older people, 60,000 women (women and girls) and 15,000 displaced persons.

In addition to the continuous and multiple violations of the provisions of the Tripartite Statement of November 9, 2020, for 27 consecutive days now, the mandatory execution of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations (UN) on ensuring unhindered entry and departure of people, cars and cargo along the Lachin corridor has not been implemented by Azerbaijan, which once again tramples on the highest international values and principles. Consequently, the international community has not only the right, but also an indisputable obligation to implement the decision of the Supreme International Court of Justice by practical means as soon as possible and to prevent future Azerbaijani crimes, including the new planned and brutal crime against humanity.

All the violations of Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh are carried out within the framework of its state policy of racial discrimination (Armenophobia) and are deeply directed against their right to self-determination and the fact of its realisation, aimed at finally resolving the conflict to their advantage via ethnic cleansing based on the “no people, no rights” logic.

The systematic and consistent policy of ethnic hatred pursued by Azerbaijan, which manifested itself both during the aggression against the people of Artsakh in 2020 and after the establishment of the ceasefire regime, indisputably proves that any status of Artsakh within Azerbaijan is tantamount to ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and the genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh. Therefore, in the context of the Artsakh conflict, the right to self-determination is equal to the right of people to live in their homeland.

The fundamental right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, as well as the Azerbaijani encroachments and threats against their physical existence on the basis of racial discrimination are more than sufficient grounds for the protection of the people of Artsakh by the international community, as well as the international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh based on the principle of “remedial recognition”.

The report is available at the following link: https://artsakhombuds.am/en/document/1004

 

 

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Baku openly shows that it rejects negotiations with Artsakh. Artsakh MFA

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18:27, 21 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh issued a statement about the right of self-determination of the people of Artsakh, noting that the authorities of Azerbaijan openly show that they reject negotiations with Artsakh as a means to resolving the conflict.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

“For 100 days now, Azerbaijan has been subjecting Artsakh to an illegal blockade, the ultimate goal of which is to destroy the Artsakh people as such by expelling them from their historical homeland. Accompanying their actions with the use of force and acts of terror, Azerbaijan is pursuing a consistent policy aimed at forcibly suppressing the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities openly demonstrate their rejection of negotiations as a means of finding a solution to any issue.

 

It should be noted that for several decades, Azerbaijan has been striving to get rid of the people of Artsakh and resolve the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict by force. The first victims of such a criminal policy were, in particular, the Armenians who lived in Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. The deportation of Armenians from Azerbaijan organized by the local authorities in 1988-1990 and accompanied by massacres, torture and pogroms, marked the beginning of a new stage in Azerbaijan's policy of persecuting Armenians. As early as in 1991, the Azerbaijani authorities continued the deportation of Armenians from Artsakh, which, in various forms and manifestations, has continued to this day.

 

Subsequently, in violation of international law and the UN Charter, and in an attempt to get rid of the people of Artsakh and suppress their right to freedom and self-determination, Azerbaijan has resorted to force three times to resolve the conflict through direct military aggression against Artsakh. All three wars waged by Azerbaijan against Artsakh were accompanied by massive human rights violations and war crimes, including wilful killings of civilians, extrajudicial executions and torture of prisoners of war and civilian hostages, indiscriminate shelling, the use of internationally prohibited ammunition, and deliberate attacks on critical civilian infrastructure.

 

As a result of the aggression against Artsakh in 2020 and the occupation of a vast part of its territory, more than 40 thousand Armenians of Artsakh became forcibly displaced. All civilians who remained in the territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan were brutally killed by Azerbaijani soldiers. Azerbaijan’s provocations and attacks on the civilians of Artsakh, including willful killings, continued even after the signing of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020.

 

Widespread and systematic violations of the rights of the people of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, including massacres, deportations, torture and other inhuman acts, are not only encouraged, but also co-ordinated at the state level. The Azerbaijani authorities do not even hide their criminal intentions to carry out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh. This is evidenced by the numerous public statements made by the President of Azerbaijan. The latest such statement was made on 18 March 2023, during his defiantly provocative visit to the Armenian village of Talish occupied during the 44-day aggression, the entire population of which was forcibly displaced. The visit itself, as well as the aggressive and belligerent statements of the Azerbaijani senior leadership during that visit, indicate that official Baku plans to extend the scenario implemented in the occupied village of Talish to the whole of Artsakh.

 

Along with this, throughout the entire negotiation process since the 1990s, Azerbaijan has sabotaged all efforts of the international mediators, in particular, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict based on international law, each time refusing at the last moment from agreements on a compromise solution. Moreover, after the war of aggression in 2020, the Azerbaijani authorities refused altogether from the peace negotiations, declaring the issues of the life and rights of the people of Artsakh as their internal matter.

 

Azerbaijan's deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh indicates the need for the international community to reconsider their approaches to the issue of the status of Artsakh and the political settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. The scale and gravity of the crimes committed by Azerbaijan at the state level against the people of Artsakh, as well as the ongoing genocidal policy, require decisive and urgent action by the international community, including the bodies responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

 

We believe that, at this stage, the development of additional legally binding obligations to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, the consolidation of the principles of non-use or threat of force and equal rights and self-determination of peoples as the basis for negotiations, as well as the restoration of the international mechanism for direct negotiations between Artsakh and Azerbaijan meet the requirements international law and the universal commitment to the protection of human rights around the world. Universal recognition of the Artsakh people's inalienable right to self-determination is the most effective way in which the international community can guarantee the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Artsakh.

 

We recall that according to international law and international practice, the denial and forceful suppression of the right to self-determination, accompanied by massive human rights violations, as well as the rejection of negotiations as a means of resolving conflict, are sufficient grounds for recognizing the right of a people to establish an independent state”.

 

 

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French senator Valérie Boyer expresses solidarity with Armenians as blockade of Lachin Corridor passes 100 days

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11:59, 22 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. French senator Valérie Boyer has reiterated solidarity and deep friendship with the Armenian people amid the Azeri blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

“Azerbaijan has been blocking the Lachin corridor for 100 days, cutting off Nagorno-Karabakh and its 120,000 inhabitants from the rest of the world, in general indifference. I have a thought for all the Armenians and I want to show them once again my solidarity and my deep friendship,” the senator tweeted, along with a photo of herself at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan during an earlier visit.

 

 

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Rasmussen calls for international, armed, UN-mandated mission in Nagorno Karabakh

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13:07, 25 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 25, ARMENPRESS. The risk of an open war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the near future is real and underestimated, Former NATO secretary-general (2009-14) and former prime minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an interview with Le Figaro.

“There is a single road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Only one. And this road has been blocked since December 12 . From essential products to medicines, nothing goes by. Residents are stuck on the Armenian side and cannot return to their homes . This situation can lead to a humanitarian disaster. The ultimate goal could be ethnic cleansing, making the life of the inhabitants so difficult that many of them would leave the territory.

I wrote a message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev urging him to lift the blockade. He did not answer me, just as he never reacted to the various statements by the international community. The International Court of Justice has itself ordered Azerbaijan to restore movement. But the blockade is still there. I appreciate Emmanuel Macron's strong commitment on this subject, and I hope that France will be joined by the other main Member States of the European Union in increasing the pressure on President Aliyev,” Rasmussen, the founder of Rasmussen Global international political consultancy firm, said.

Asked to elaborate on what kind of pressures he means, the former NATO Secretary General said: “The European Commission and Azerbaijan are bound by an energy agreement . Obviously, after cutting off the Russian gas supply, we need alternatives. But this agreement can precisely be an excellent basis for increasing the pressure on the Azerbaijani president. It is important to tell Baku that our energy interest will not make us look away from a potential humanitarian crisis.

It could be that Ilham Aliyev is an autocrat, like Vladimir Putin. But I firmly believe that he is aware of the disadvantage of being considered an international pariah, as is the case for his Russian counterpart. In my opinion, Aliyev carefully calculates the limits not to be exceeded in violations of international law. Because the blocking of Nagorno-Karabakh is a violation of the law, as well as the attacks carried out last September on Armenian soil, followed by the occupation of parts of territory. The European Union must make it clear to the Aliyev regime that these violations will not go unpunished.”

He added that Russia – who is in control of the Lachin Corridor – did nothing to prevent the blockade.

“Indeed, the Lachin Corridor has been under the control of Russian peacekeepers since an agreement in 2020. I saw with my own eyes the soldiers posted to control the road. They are very close to the place of the blockade, but they do nothing! Moscow did absolutely nothing to prevent this situation, just as it said nothing when Baku attacked Armenia in September. It cannot be ruled out that Moscow, in addition to a lack of will to help its historic ally, also lacks the capacity to do so, being fully engaged on the Ukrainian front. Either way, there is clearly a paradigm shift in the Caucasus, with Russian influence and impact fading. Armenians are deeply disappointed by this inaction. That's why they look for reliable friends.”

Asked why Europe has a special responsibility in Armenia, Rasmussen said: “I think that a new conflict in this region at the gates of Europe cannot serve us. First of all, this risks compromising our energy supply. Also, the passivity of Russia suggests the existence of an informal alliance between Moscow and Baku, and between Moscow and Istanbul. This is why European states must engage in the South Caucasus.

I think the European Union has grasped what is at stake by deploying an observer mission to the Armenian border. For the moment, the group is too small, the means too limited, and the experts do not have access to the Azeri side of the border. But it's a good base. The objective is twofold: in the immediate future, to contain the threat - because Azerbaijan will not dare to attack as long as European observers can observe the facts. In a longer perspective, I encourage the European Union to make it a real fact-finding mission to establish documented facts on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh. We must also urge President Aliyev to engage in peace negotiations…”

Rasmussen noted that Armenia highlights ensuring the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh, and said that this would require a peacekeeping mission “which can warn of an imminent risk of ethnic cleansing.”

“I therefore plead for the deployment of an international and armed mission, under a United Nations mandate,” he added.

 

 

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Khandanyan presents situation resulted by the blockade of Lachin Corridor to the delegation of Czech Foreign Ministry

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19:25, 27 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. On March 27, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan met with the Director General for European Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jaroslav Kurfürst, ARMENPRESS was informed from the National Assembly of Armenia.

Welcoming the delegation in parliament of Armenia, Sargis Khandanyan noted that the relations of Armenia with the Czech Republic are based on the ties of friendship and solidarity.

According to him, now Armenia is in the continuous processes of democratic reforms and is consistent to the succeeded experience of the Czech Republic.

The Committee Chair noted that this year the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the Czech Republic. According to him, during the past three decades, inter-state warm relations were succeeded to develop and at present, Armenia is ready to deepen the cooperation in all possible spheres of mutual interest with the Czech Republic.

As Sargis Khandanyan observed, the inter-parliamentary cooperation is rather active. He expressed conviction that the mutual interests will promote the strengthening of cooperation between the parliaments of two countries.

Armenia highlights the effective cooperation with the Czech Republic on the bilateral, as well as multilateral platforms, in the EU and multilateral formats, including the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other formats.

Jaroslav Kurfürst thanked Sargis Khandanyan for warm reception and words. He also emphasized the deepening of cooperation between the two countries, noting that on the occasion of the establishment of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a number of events and mutual visits are scheduled.

According to the Director General for European Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the cooperation in parliamentary format has an important role for enriching the agenda of inter-state relations and deepening of the existing friendly ties.

The Committee Chair presented the situation in Armenia and in Nagorno Karabakh, spoke about the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, underlining that as a consequence of closing of the only road connecting with the outside world, 120.000 residents of Nagorno Karabakh is in full blockade.

Issues of regional security were also discussed.

 

 

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Sweden demolish Azerbaijan 5:0 at Euro 2024 qualifier as spectators wave Nagorno Karabakh flag

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10:23, 28 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Spectators at the Sweden-Azerbaijan Euro 2024 qualifier waved the flag of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) and displayed posters calling for an end to the blockade.

Nagorno Karabakh has been blockaded by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022 after Azerbaijan closed the Lachin Corridor.

 

[see video]

Spectators displayed a large poster saying "End the blockade of Artsakh."

Sweden won 5:0 in the match.

Forsberg opened the score for Sweden at 38’, while Azerbaijan’s Mustafazade scored an own goal in 65’.

Gyokeres, Karlsson and Elanga scored the remaining goals in the 79^th, 88^th and 89^th minutes respectively.

 

 

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Nagorno Karabakh reacts to Azerbaijani meeting offer

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13:14, 28 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities reacted on March 28 to Azerbaijan’s latest offer to hold a meeting.

In a statement, the Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Ministry said “the conditions proposed by the Azerbaijani side regarding the place and agenda of the meeting, as well as the context in which the proposal was made, indicate that the goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is not to have genuine discussion on existing problems, but to disrupt a possible dialogue or to impose their own political agenda through coercion, blockade, creating unbearable living conditions and the use of military force.”

The Nagorno Karabakh government reaffirmed readiness, in line with the established practice of previous meetings, to meet with the representatives of Azerbaijan with the mediation and at the deployment site of the command of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent in Nagorno Karabakh to discuss issues of ensuring the normal life activity of the people of Nagorno Karabakh and the proper implementation by the parties of their obligations, in particular, those related to the unimpeded functioning of the Lachin Corridor.

Below is the full statement issued by the foreign ministry of Nagorno Karabakh.

In connection with another proposal made by the Azerbaijani President's Office to hold a meeting between representatives of Azerbaijan and Artsakh in Baku in early April, we consider it necessary to reiterate the principled position of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh regarding possible discussions with Azerbaijan, their modalities and objectives.

The Republic of Artsakh has always advocated and continues to advocate for dialogue and a peaceful, negotiated solution to all existing problems. We have never refused contacts with the Azerbaijani side, which is evidenced by the meetings held between the representatives of Artsakh and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the command of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in Artsakh.

The conditions proposed by the Azerbaijani side regarding the place and agenda of the meeting, as well as the context in which the proposal was made, indicate that the goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is not to have genuine discussion on existing problems, but to disrupt a possible dialogue or to impose their own political agenda through coercion, blockade, creating unbearable living conditions and the use of military force. In this regard, we consider it necessary to recall that three days ago, on 26 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces, in flagrant violation of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, crossed the line of contact and moved further into the territory of the Republic of Artsakh, in the direction of the unpaved road Stepanakert-Lisagor. Moreover, on 27 March, the Azerbaijani armed forces made another attempt to take control of the mentioned road, which is the only possibility of emergency communication between the communities of Shushi region and other settlements of the republic under the conditions of blockade.

We reaffirm our readiness, in line with the established practice of previous meetings, to meet with the representatives of Azerbaijan with the mediation and at the deployment site of the command of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent in Artsakh to discuss issues of ensuring the normal life activity of the people of Artsakh and the proper implementation by the parties of their obligations, in particular, those related to the unimpeded functioning of the Lachin Corridor. In this context, we consider the reopening of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia through the Lachin Corridor and addressing the humanitarian, infrastructural and other urgent issues caused by the blockade to be a priority The authorities of Artsakh are also open to discussing other issues, which would not be aimed at imposing ready-made solutions on the part of Azerbaijan, but the search of mutually acceptable solutions to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation of tension.

We emphasize once again that the continued blocking of the Lachin Corridor and aggravation of the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh are unacceptable and in no way contribute to creating an environment conducive to dialogue. We are convinced that only proper implementation by Azerbaijan of its international obligations, both under the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020 and the order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023, may testify to Azerbaijan's willingness and interest to address issues through dialogue and negotiations without resorting to coercion and the use of force.

We reiterate the inadmissibility of politicisation of dialogue on technical and humanitarian issues and emphasise that the political issues of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement must be discussed in an agreed and internationally established negotiation format, based on the equal rights of the parties and the existence of solid international guarantees for the implementation by the parties of their obligations.”

 

 

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