Following contacts with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as Turkey, over the last few days, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, took note on Wednesday 13 September of the passage of a Russian humanitarian shipment via the Ağdam-Askeran route to Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We understand all the sensitivities associated with this development, it is our expectation that it will create momentum for the resumption of regular humanitarian deliveries to the local population”, stressed Mr Michel’s spokeswoman in a statement.
The entry of Russian humanitarian aid into Nagorno-Karabakh was allowed on condition that the Russian side kept its commitments regarding the opening of the Lachin corridor.
At a time when the situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly, “it is vital to ensure essential products are supplied to Karabakh Armenians”, said Mr Michel’s spokeswoman. In her opinion, the opening of the Agdam-Askeran route is an important step that should facilitate the reopening of the Lachin corridor. “We call on all stakeholders to show responsibility and flexibility in ensuring that both the Lachin and the Agdam-Askeran route will be used”, she added.
The spokeswoman felt that it was important to find lasting and mutually acceptable solutions to guarantee humanitarian access, noting that the Lachin corridor had to be unblocked and stressing the usefulness of other supply routes, in the interests of the local population.
The EU hoped that this delivery would be followed by more concrete measures “in the coming days and weeks”, particularly with regard to the dialogue between Azerbaijan and the Karabakh Armenians on their rights and security, reconciliation efforts and the overall peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the spokeswoman concluded. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)