MEPs deplored, on Thursday 19 January, the tragic humanitarian consequences of the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor (see EUROPE 13084/31). They urged Azerbaijan to immediately reopen the corridor, the only route linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world, to allow the free movement of affected populations and ensure access to essential goods and services.
In a resolution adopted by a show of hands by the Renew Europe, The Left, Greens/EFA, S&D and ECR groups, the European Parliament calls for the “urgent” resumption of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh “without preconditions”.
MEPs say international organisations must have free access to Nagorno-Karabakh to assess the situation and provide the necessary humanitarian aid.
Condemning the inaction of the Russian ‘peacekeepers’ in the area, they want them to be replaced by OSCE international peacekeepers.
See the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/4yp
Furthermore, “concerned about the increasingly precarious humanitarian situation of people living in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blockade of the territory of Lachin”, the Icelandic Foreign Minister and Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, called on “the relevant authorities” to “quickly restore freedom of movement along the corridor”.
She urged “all stakeholders” to “resolve their concerns through dialogue” and said she remained ready to contribute. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Véronique Leblanc)