15:59,
YEREVAN, JULY 24, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan has held a meeting with the new Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Piotr Skwieciński.
During the meeting Grigoryan congratulated Skwieciński on his appointment and expressed certainty that the ambassador will bring his contribution to the further expansion of the Armenian-Polish relations, Grigoryan’s office said in a readout.
Secretary Grigoryan presented the grave humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the total blockade of Lachin Corridor. Grigoryan and Ambassador Skwieciński also discussed a number of issues pertaining to the Armenian-Polish bilateral relations.
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 medication. 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 evacuations of patients.