11:26, 27 July 2023

YEREVAN, JULY 27, ARMENPRESS. If Azerbaijan blocks the Armenian humanitarian aid convoy from entering Lachin Corridor it would corroborate Armenia’s fears that Baku seeks to commit genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned Thursday.

“We’ve asked the Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh to accept the cargo and transport it to Nagorno-Karabakh, where there’s an ongoing humanitarian crisis resulting from the nearly 8-months blockade of the Lachin Corridor. However, Azerbaijan is obstructing the access of the humanitarian goods into Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh. This conduct is incomprehensible and unacceptable,” Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

He denied Azerbaijani allegations on Armenia using the Lachin Corridor for military purposes to be an “absurd claim”, and said that these false accusations are simply a pretext for Azerbaijan to illegally block the Lachin Corridor.

The humanitarian convoy of 19 trucks sent to Nagorno-Karabakh carries 100 tons of flour, 80 tons of pasta, 60 tons of sugar, 40 tons of vegetable oil, 40 tons of powdered milk, 20 tons of salt, 12 tons of baby food and 9 tons of medication.

Furthermore, the diplomatic corps in Armenia were invited to review the cargo before it was sent. “So why doesn’t Azerbaijan allow the goods to enter Nagorno Karabakh? Perhaps because Azerbaijan’s true goal is to starve the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, subject them to genocide. However, regardless of our assessment, we are waiting for the response of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and official Baku’s positive reaction, because the blocking of the humanitarian cargo would only confirm  fears that Baku intends to commit genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pashinyan said.

Access of the humanitarian cargo into Nagorno Karabakh would contribute to the peace efforts in the region and would be a positive step on the path of establishing an atmosphere of trust, he added.