17:40,
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.