Greek Foreign Minister briefed on deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

 17:14, 9 August 2023

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. On August 9, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece George Gerapetritis.

Minister Mirzoyan briefed his colleague on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, stressing the importance of clear messages from the EU member states and the implementation of concrete steps, the ministry said in a readout.

Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that since June 15, Nagorno-Karabakh has been under a complete blockade, as a result the problem of supplying food, medicine and other essentials to the local population has greatly worsened. Ararat Mirzoyan noted that Azerbaijan, in violation of all norms of international humanitarian law, also disrupts the humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only international humanitarian organization with access to Nagorno-Karabakh, endangering the lives of people in need of urgent medical assistance. Minister Mirzoyan added that in case of minimal possibility of transfer from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for medical treatment, accompanied by the ICRC, Azerbaijan carries out unacceptable acts of intimidation such as the abduction of Nagorno-Karabakh resident Vagif Khachatryan by the border guard service of Azerbaijan on July 29.

The importance of the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Lachin corridor in accordance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6 was emphasized.

The sides also expressed readiness to take steps towards further expansion of bilateral partnership between Armenia and Greece.

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS