Urgent solutions need to be found around Lachin corridor: Toivo Klaar travels to Yerevan

YEREVAN, 23 January. /ARKA/. European Union's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar said he was going to visit Yerevan.

'Back in Yerevan for a day of meetings. The situation around the Lachin corridor is serious and solutions have to urgently be found. I look forward to discussions to explore ways forward. The EU's goal remains a comprehensive Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement,' he tweeted.

A group of Azerbaijanis, presenting themselves as environmental activists, have been blockading the Lachin corridor since last December 12. The corridor is the only route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh and its Armenian population to Armenia and the rest of the world. It was used for safe travel of Armenians and flow of supplies into the area. Russian peacekeepers deployed in the area to protect the Armenian population and ensure free travel along the road in both directions are not successful in stopping the blockade.

Nagorno-Karabakh previously received around 400 tons of food and medicine daily. Now it is surviving in dire conditions. Pharmacies have run out of medication, and all scheduled surgeries are postponed. Food is also running out, and supermarkets are empty. The government had to introduce a rationing system.

Additionally, as the temperature drops below freezing, there is severe fuel scarcity. Since January 10th, a breakdown in Azerbaijani-controlled territory has caused an interruption in the high-voltage electrical grid from Armenia, making it impossible for the Armenian electricity company to fix the problem. In addition to all this, Azerbaijan has cut off the supplies of natural gas shipped from Armenia through the only pipeline that runs across Azerbaijan-controlled territory. -0-