Un Secretary General António Guterres: Decisions of the ICJ Are Binding And Opening of Lachin Corridor Must Be Implemented

NEW YORK — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with UN Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday.

The interlocutors touched upon the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and issues of how to overcome it.

In particular, issues related to sending a UN fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh and Lachin Corridor were discussed.

The sides emphasized the need to unblock the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the importance of its uninterrupted operation.

An agreement was reached to continue discussions on the issue of sending a UN mission. António Guterres noted that he will keep the issue in the center of attention.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the ruling of the UN International Court of Justice to meet Armenia’s request on indication of provisional measures regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor.

The interlocutors exchanged ideas on issues related to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, protection of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On February 24 António Guterres issued a statement indicating that he  takes note of the Orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), issued on 22 February, in the proceedings between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for UN Secretary General António Guterres, said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General welcomes the trust that the Governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have placed in the ICJ by asking it to resolve their differences,” he said.

“He recalls that decisions of the ICJ are binding and trusts that the Parties will implement its Orders, including the Order related to measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,” the Spokesman said.

“The Secretary-General expresses the hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue working to improve their bilateral relations and strongly encourages a constructive dialogue,” Stéphane Dujarric said.