Complete closure of Lachin corridor is another demonstration of Azerbaijan's deliberate violation of its international obligations - Artsakh Foreign Ministry

YEREVAN, June 16. /ARKA/. The Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with the complete closure of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan on Thursday. The corridor is the only road linking Artsakh and Armenia.

Below is the full text of the statement.

"On June 15, after a deliberate provocation near Khakari Bridge, Azerbaijan completely blocked all humanitarian passenger and cargo transportations via Lachin corridor in both directions. As a result of Azerbaijan's actions, the planned medical evacuation of patients from Artsakh to Armenia did not take place and the planned transportation of passengers in urgent humanitarian need through the mediation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent on the Stepanakert-Goris-Stepanakert route was cancelled. The movement of trucks of Russian peacekeepers en route to Goris to deliver humanitarian goods to Artsakh was also stopped.

The complete closure of the Lachin corridor, used in a limited mode and exclusively for humanitarian purposes because of the ongoing illegal blockade of Artsakh for more than six months, is another practical demonstration of Azerbaijan's gross violation of its international obligations, disregard for the fundamental norms of international law, including the legally binding decision of the International Court of Justice. In fact, the illegally established checkpoint in the Lachin corridor is being used by Azerbaijan purely as a tool to continue its policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh.

It is obvious that, in continuation of its policy of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and expulsion of its people from their homeland through the creation of unbearable living conditions, including the long-term blockade of Artsakh by the so-called eco-activists, the establishment of Azerbaijani control in the Lachin corridor and other illegal actions, the Azerbaijani authorities decided to proceed with new provocations aimed at tightening the blockade and isolating the people of Artsakh from the outside world, depriving them even of limited movement and supplies of humanitarian cargo under the escort of the ICRC and Russian peacekeepers..

Given the permissiveness and lack of decisive measures by the international community against the policy of ethnic cleansing of the people of Artsakh, the actions of Azerbaijan are becoming more and more threatening. In order to prevent further atrocities and crimes against the people of Artsakh, such illegal and aggressive steps by Azerbaijan must be politically assessed and condemned by the international community and, first and foremost, by all parties involved.

We emphasize once again that prevention of mass human rights violations, including ethnic cleansing and genocide, is an obligation of all members of the international community." -0-