Farmers in Artsakh sow more land than in previous years despite Azerbaijani blockade

YEREVAN, August 8. /ARKA/. Despite the almost 8 month-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan local farmers managed to organize spring sowing in volumes exceeding the previous years, Artsakh State Minister (prime minister) Gurgen Nersisyan said.

"Under the blockade, along with taking care of the needs of the 120,000-strong population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), thanks to the storage of various products by the government, we were able to organize spring sowing in volumes exceeding previous years, as well as harvesting in certain amounts," Nersisyan wrote on his Facebook page. 

He noted that thanks to the rural communities, Artsakh residents are able to receive a minimum amount of food, fruits and vegetables.

"The government is providing fuel only for harvesting and organizing the 'internal' life of the country. Fuel has not been and will not be provided to anyone for any other purposes," the official noted.

For about eight months now, 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have been under complete blockade of Azerbaijan with no food, medicine, fuel, gas or electricity.

The Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world was initially blocked by Azerbaijani government-sponsored fake “eco-activists” on December 12, 2022.

Azerbaijan officially institutionalized the blockage of the road by an illegal checkpoint installation on April 23, 2023, grossly violating its international obligations.

Azerbaijan continues to demonstrate a willful disregard for the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, the ECHR ruling of December 21, 2023, as well as ICJ orders issued on February 22 and July 6, 2023, calling on Azerbaijan to urgently “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.” -0-