Speaking at a weekly cabinet session, Pashinian said: “Of course, it may seem strange to the Armenian public that I am stating this as a result of the discussion at the UN Security Council, but we must not forget that Azerbaijan constantly and continuously insists that the Lachin Corridor is not closed.”
The Armenian premier said that the discussion at the UN Security Council also confirmed the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and “the fact that the lives and safety of 120,000 people of Nagorno-Karabakh are in question.”
“Thirdly, it was emphasized that the decision of the International Court of Justice on ensuring uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo through the Lachin Corridor in both directions has not been implemented by Azerbaijan,” Pashinian said.
“Now we can state that the truth about the illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh has been spoken about at the highest international instance. Also, the international community has made a collective appeal to Azerbaijan to eliminate the illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor,” the Armenian leader concluded.
While most members of the UN Security Council seem to agree that the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, should be reopened, it is not clear yet whether the body will adopt a resolution or a statement on the matter after two-hour long discussions on August 16.
In his remarks at the meeting held at Yerevan’s request Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan formulated Armenia’s expectations from the UN Security Council.
“We expect this Council to condemn the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, to call for the immediate restoration of freedom and security of movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, in line with the previously reached agreements, through the Lachin corridor; to dispatch an independent inter-agency needs assessment mission in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide humanitarian assistance to the affected population,” Mirzoyan said, in particular.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the UN Yashar Aliyev said Armenia’s “allegations about famine and genocide are false and fictitious.”
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who presided over the meeting, urged the government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the Lachin Corridor “so that commercial, humanitarian, and private vehicles can reach the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“We also note the possibility of compromise on additional routes for humanitarian supplies,” she said.
Baku offers alternative ways of supplies to Karabakh Armenians, notably through a road via Agdam, an Azerbaijani-controlled town east of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto ethnic Armenian government rejects the offer, considering it as a prelude to the region’s absorption into Azerbaijan.