Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks to reporters in Jermuk on Mar. 14

Calls Aliyev “as much an autocrat as Putin”

The former head of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, urged the European Union on Tuesday to pressure Azerbaijan to end the more than three-month long blockade of Artsakh.

He also called on President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to immediately open the Lachin Corridor and stop the blockade of Artsakh.

Rasmussen told reporters while visiting Jermuk that while visiting Armenia, he has witnessed first-hand the consequences of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and called the Artsakh blockade “inhumane and illegal.”

“A few weeks ago, the International Court of Justice made a decision obligating Azerbaijan to ensure free and safe movement through the Lachin Corridor. The decision is binding, which means that Azerbaijan is obligated to open the corridor for free movement. I will send a message to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and tell him to lift the blockade immediately,” said Rasmussen.

In the current situation, when Azerbaijan, despite the decision of the international court, continues the blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, the EU should strengthen the pressure on Azerbaijan.

“The EU has reached an agreement with Azerbaijan in the field of energy, and this can be used as a critical platform for discussing the issue,” Rasmussen said.

“Perhaps, President Ilham Aliyev is as much an autocrat as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, but I don’t think he would want to end up in the same situation as President Putin and become an international aggressor. And that’s why I once again call on Aliyev to immediately stop the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Rasmussen emphasized.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited the entrance of the blockaded Lachin Corridor

Before visiting Jermuk, Rasmussen traveled to the entrance of the Lachin Corridor.