Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan has addressed an official letter to the heads of parliaments of more than 30 countries and presidents of international parliamentary organizations, drawing attention to the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
The letter states that the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, which is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping force, is a gross violation by Azerbaijan of the international obligations assumed by the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020.
Referring to the 120,000 Armenians living in Artsakh under siege, the Speaker noted that the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh is deepening day by day. “The danger of malnutrition is becoming more and more tangible. 41 kindergartens and 20 schools are closed. Thousands of children are denied the right to education.”
Moreover, he said, “this blockade prevents the free movement of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. At least 1,100 civilians have been stranded along the highway in recent weeks, unable to return to their homes.
Reference was also made to the 270 minors who received temporary asylum in Armenia, while their parents are in Artsakh.
The Speaker informed that today Nagorno Karabakh lives in conditions of isolation, with an extreme lack of electricity, without access to services and goods vital for life.
“This siege is nothing but a bright continuation of the consistent policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan,” he said.
The letter mentions that a number of governments, including France and the United States, along with the European Union, the European Parliament and many national parliaments, the United Nations, human rights organizations, prominent international organizations dealing with genocide issues, have condemned this illegal and hostile act and called to immediately and unconditionally unblock the corridor.
“Once again emphasizing the determination of the Armenian side to build peace and stability in the region, we call on our international partners to take additional measures to prevent the difficult situation unfolding in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the application of sanctions against Azerbaijan,” the Speaker said.
Alen Simonyan had addressed another similar letter to colleagues on December 14, 2022.
