The establishment of Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, free movement through which was already questionable, is certainly a further deterioration of the situation in that area, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić said during question time at the Parliamentary Assembly.
“It certainly does not help building confidence and reducing tensions,” she said.
“I made my point clear in December, when the Lachin corridor was first blocked, and I can only restate that I call to restore free movement, and in the meantime, we have an interim measure issued by the International Court of Justice,” she added.
The Secretary General pointed to the humanitarian crisis in the region and noted that “it goes beyond imagination how the situation of people living in that area is under complete blockade”
Mrs. Pejčinović Burić stressed that all Council of Europe bodies should have a possibility to go to all areas covered by the Council of Europe, including the Lachin corrdor.
“I know that some of the bodies wanted to go there to get first-hand information, because what we hear from the sides is contradictory, and I think the best way would be to allow the CoE bodies – the Commissioner for Human Rights, the PACE delegation – to assess the situation on the ground,” the Secretary General stated.
