EU, Armenian Officials Discuss Karabakh Blockade Deployment of New Civilian Mission

YEREVAN — Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and crisis in Georgia expressed serious concern over the continuing blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh’s land link with Armenia as he visited Yerevan on Monday.

“The situation around the Lachin corridor is serious and solutions have to urgently be found,” Klaar tweeted before holding talks with Armenian leaders.

“I look forward to discussions to explore ways forward,” he said. “The EU goal remains a comprehensive Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement.”

Klaar went on to meet with Defense Minister Suren Papikyan. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, they discussed the blockade and other “recent developments in the region.”

The EU envoy held a separate meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan later in the day.  The meeting was also attended by the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin.

The interlocutors discussed the situation in the region, as well as issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation.

The decision on the deployment of the new civilian mission of the European Union on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was highlighted, which will contribute to stability and security in the region. Reference was also made to the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the blocking of the Lachin Corridor.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that as a result of this, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is aggravating day by day, schools and kindergartens are not operating, healthcare institutions suffer a severe shortage of medicine and are facing serious problems. Besides, gas supply to Nagorno Karabakh has been suspended by Azerbaijan, there is also a problem of electricity supply. Emphasizing the targeted response of the international community to the created situation, Nikol Pashinyan emphasized importance of the resolutions recently adopted by the European Parliament.

Toivo Klaar expressed concern over the blocking of the Lachin Corridor and stressed the need for the uninterrupted operation of the corridor. He noted that the EU is interested in ensuring stability and peace in the region and will continue to contribute to the solution of this problem.

The parties exchanged thoughts on the deployment process of the new civilian mission of the European Union, as well as on the course of the Armenia-EU joint programs in the direction of the institutional reforms implemented in the Republic of Armenia.