On Thursday, Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, called for international cooperation to end Azerbaijan’s “illegal blockade” of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory, which is home to many Armenians.
new peace negotiations between Baku and the EU.
This Monday, Azerbaijan said that it was temporarily closing the only road connecting its breakaway area to Armenia and accused the Armenian Red Cross of smuggling.
According to separatist leaders, the action raised worries about a humanitarian disaster in the unrest-plagued enclave, where there are food shortages and limited access to medical care for residents.
On Thursday, Pashinyan criticized what he called a “illegal blockade” of Karabakh, claiming that it goes against an ICJ decision.
In February, the highest court of the UN issued a decision requiring Azerbaijan to guarantee freedom of travel via the Lachin Corridor, Karabakh’s only land connection to Armenia.
“As far as the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the deepening humanitarian crisis are concerned, the binding ruling of the ICJ creates a possibility for a greater international consolidation to prevent Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh,” Pashinyan said.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, he also announced the next round of peace talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev would be held on Saturday in Brussels under the mediation of European Council President Charles Michel.
“I confirmed my participation in the meeting, and I hope we will achieve progress in our talks on a peace treaty.”
The trilateral meeting, which will be the sixth in over two years, will examine connectivity, boundary delimitation, the peace deal, and the rights and security of Armenians in Karabakh.
