13:26,

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 15, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has banned all humanitarian passenger and cargo transportation through Lachin Corridor, the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) authorities said on June 15.

Azerbaijan banned humanitarian passage after the June 15 provocation near Hakari Bridge.

“In particular, 25 patients and their family members were being transported by the International Committee of the Red Cross from Artsakh to Armenia, but the further movement of the vehicles was banned in the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint functioning in the Kashatagh (Lachin) corridor, forcing them to return to Stepanakert. Besides, a passenger transportation of dozens of persons for urgent humanitarian needs scheduled for today in the Stepanakert-Goris-Stepanakert route that was supposed to take place by the Russian peacekeepers has also been cancelled. The movement of cargo trucks of Russian peacekeepers traveling to Goris for humanitarian cargo transportation has also been suspended,” the Artsakh Information Center said in a statement.

It added that the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint itself in Lachin Corridor poses grave danger and obstacles for ensuring free movement between Artsakh and Armenia.

“Today’s incident once again confirms the existence of these dangers and obstacles, by additionally threatening the highly limited movement of people and goods for essential humanitarian needs of the people of Artsakh, even by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers. The authorities of Artsakh reiterate their position that the mode of the Lachin Corridor envisaged under the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement must be immediately and unconditionally ensured, without any Azerbaijani interference, and the 22 February 2023 ruling by the UN International Court of Justice over this issue must be implemented,” the Artsakh authorities said.