15:21, 5 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. The 6th International Medical Congress of Armenia, which was planned to take place in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), will instead be held in Yerevan on July 6-8 because of the blockade, the Healthcare Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh said in a statement.

Healthcare representatives from Nagorno Karabakh have participated in the congress before and will do so again this year, but remotely.

The event brings together leading healthcare professionals for discussions and exchange of experience. 

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medicine. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuation of patients.