20:56, 2 March 2023
YEREVAN, MARCH 2, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan considers sending international fact-finding mission to Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh to be important for the international community in terms of getting more comprehensive information of the situation, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said at the joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Pashinyan first thanked the German government for supporting the decision to deploy a new EU long-term monitoring mission in Armenia. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that this mission will play a significant role in establishing peace and security in the region. He personally thanked Chancellor Scholz, because his personal contribution to making that decision was very big.
One of the key topics of the discussions between Pashinyan and Scholz was the security situation in the South Caucasus and the challenges facing Armenia.
"After the signing of the declaration on November 9, 2020, Armenia spared no effort to achieve the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and ensure the rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. Unfortunately, instead of participating in negotiations in good faith, the Azerbaijani side continues its unconstructive policy, threatens Armenia's democracy, undermining our government's efforts to establish peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus. Today, the most urgent problem is that since December 12, 2022 the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world, the Lachin Corridor, has been closed by Azerbaijan, as a result of which 120,000 residents have found themselves in a blockade," said the Prime Minister.
He emphasized that these actions of Azerbaijan are a gross violation of the obligations assumed by the tripartite declaration of November 9, թճթճ, which is a part of the large-scale and systematic policy of Azerbaijan aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"We think it could be very important to send an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh for the international community to get a more comprehensive understanding of the situation," Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister reminded that on February 22, the International Court of Justice made a legally binding decision for Azerbaijan, obliging it to take all necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo in both directions through the Lachin Corridor.
"We call on our international partners to take active steps to ensure the immediate implementation of the court's decision by Azerbaijan. We attach importance to the clear position of Germany, a country of democracy, protection of human rights and preservation of universal values, which will support Armenia's efforts towards stability and peace in the South Caucasus," said Pashinyan.