Baku Grossly Violates International Obligation It Has Assumed, Says Yerevan

“a) the Lachin Corridor shall remain under the control of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation,

“b) the Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee safe movement of citizens, vehicles and cargo in both directions along the Lachin corridor.

“Therefore, Azerbaijan grossly violates the international obligation it has assumed. This behavior by Azerbaijan not only demonstrates its lack of intention to address the issues of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and to hold a dialogue with Stepanakert for this purpose, but also once again testifies to the fact that Baku continues pursuing the policy of ethnic cleansing towards Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The blockage of the Lachin Corridor is the practical manifestation of many alarms that Azerbaijan has adopted a policy of genocide against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. The regular violations of the ceasefire regime and the provocations by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh make the existential threat to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh more tangible.

“We underscore that international commitments, including the strict fulfilment of the commitments undertaken by the Trilateral Statement of November 9, the refusal of the use of force or the threat of the use of force, the strict observance of the ceasefire regime, the ensuring of uninterrupted movement in the Lachin Corridor under the supervision of Russian peacekeepers are of key importance for the political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region, and for the peaceful coexistence of peoples.

“We call the urgent attention of the entire international community, including the UN Security Council, OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] Minsk Group Co-Chairing and member states, that Azerbaijan’s actions may lead to a large-scale humanitarian disaster. We emphasize the necessity of launching or restarting the international mechanisms for ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and for this purpose we shall soon start consultations with international partners.”