European Council President Charles Michel (center) hosts Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on Jul. 15
Pashinyan Presents Artsakh President’s Letter to EU Leader
European Council President Charles Michel said it is necessary to unblock the Lachin Corridor and stressed that the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is not in any party’s interests, during remarks to reporters after hosting another round of talks between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in Brussels on Saturday. The EU leader also endorsed Baku’s plan to transport assistance to Karabakh via Aghdam, bypassing Armenia.
“Clear steps were discussed to help the situation return to its normal course again. I emphasized the need to open the Lachin Corridor, noted Azerbaijan’s readiness to deliver humanitarian aid through Aghdam,” said Michel, echoing Baku’s position to use Aghdam as an alternative to Lachin for delivering humanitarian assistance, which ensures that such aid is not delivered through Armenia.
“The European Union continues to be involved in order to start negotiations between the representatives of the former autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Baku, which is important for discussing the rights and security issues of the local Armenian population,” added Michel
He drew attention to the fact that the people of Nagorno Karabakh are facing a humanitarian crisis and emphasized that the current situation around the Lachin Corridor is unstable, saying that during Saturday’s talks the parties reaffirmed that they recognize each other’s territorial integrity.
Michel added that the delimitation of the borders, which has become the subject of discussion, should be carried out according to the Almaty Declaration. Michel emphasized that the issues of prisoners and soldiers who crossed over to the other side by mistake were discussed at the tripartite meeting.
He also announced again that three leaders will be joined by the French president and German Chancellor in talks scheduled to take place in the fall in Granada, Spain.
The talks, which lasted for 2:45 were preceded by separate meetings between Michel and the two leaders.
Earlier on Saturday Pashinyan’s office said that during his meeting with Michel, he presented an urgent appeal by Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan calling on the international community, especially the European Union, to compel Azerbaijan to lift the seven-month-old blockade of Artsakh and prevent ethnic cleansing.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivers an appeal from Artsakh President to EU leader Charles Michel
Pashinyan’s statement also stressed that the “deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by Azerbaijan’s illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor” was discussed during the meeting.
The delimitation and demarcation of the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the security of those border were also discussed.
“The unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, the agreement on the regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh were discussed, as were issues related to prisoners, missing persons and other humanitarian issues,” Pashinyan’s press office reported, adding that the leaders agreed to continue to address these issues more actively.
This is a developing story.