Baku continues to illegally block Lachin corridor in parallel with negotiations - Ararat Mirzoyan

YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan continues the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor in parallel with the negotiations, which openly contradicts the statements made by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier in Prague and Sochi, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Monday.

The Lachin corridor, which is the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia ahs been blockaded by Azerbaijan since last December 2022.

"The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) blockade has caused a serious humanitarian crisis. It has disrupted the activities of such a reputable international organization as the International Committee of the Red Cross. The blockade is obviously part of Azerbaijani policy of ethnic cleansing," Mirzoyan said Monday at a joint press briefing with visiting Leo Docherty, U.K.'s Under Secretary of State for Europe.

In this regard, Mirzoyan called on the UN Security Council member states, including Great Britain, to take effective steps, including sending a monitoring mission to the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as press Azerbaijan to return all Armenian prisoners.

At the same time, Mirzoyan noted Yerevan's commitment to the Almaty Declaration of 1991 and pointed to the willingness to open regional communication based on the principle of mutual sovereignty. All issues, in his opinion, should be solved without any use or threat of using force. -0-