17:10,

YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. On August 11, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium Hadja Lahbib.

Minister Mirzoyan briefed on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor and emphasized the severe conditions created for the 120,000 population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the foreign ministry said in a readout.

 The Foreign Minister of Armenia particularly underlined the severity of the situation for vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, noting that they are deprived of the necessary medicines and medical support.

The need to ensure the full and uninterrupted functioning of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only humanitarian organization having access to Nagorno-Karabakh, was touched upon.

Minister Mirzoyan stressed that similar serious humanitarian situations cannot be the problem of only one country: joint efforts of the civilized world are necessary for the unblocking of the Lachin corridor, the restoration of uninterrupted connection between Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world.

During the telephone conversation, the bilateral agenda was also touched upon. Both sides expressed willingness to take steps towards the development of cooperation between Armenia and Belgium, including through high-level mutual visits.