BERLIN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday urged the international community to press Azerbaijan to comply with a UN court order to reopen the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
“Unfortunately, despite the decision made by the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan has still not reopened the Lachin corridor,” Pashinyan told members of the German parliament’s foreign relations committee during a visit to Berlin.
“I think that this is a situation that needs to be discussed at the international level because it is unacceptable to leave the decision of the ICJ without reaction amid the continuing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said. “An international response is imperative.”
“In general, the situation remains tense, first of all due to the continuous blocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, despite the decision of the International Court of Justice, Azerbaijan has not opened the Lachin Corridor yet. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the decision of the ICJ has a legally binding force. I think this is a situation that should be discussed at the international level, because it is unacceptable to leave the decision of the International Court of Justice without a reaction, in particular, when the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh continues, and an international reaction is needed”, Pashinyan said to German Bundestag members.
“We are convinced that Azerbaijan’s goal is to carry out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. I think the latest statement of Azerbaijani president Aliyev proves this, because Aliyev said that the Lachin Corridor is open for Armenians who want to leave Karabakh, which I think automatically means that the Lachin Corridor is closed for Armenians who live in Nagorno Karabakh and who want to live there. This is the core cause of Azerbaijan’s actions.
There are concerns that this is just the beginning of escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh, perhaps along the Armenia-Azerbaijani border as well, because Azerbaijan continues to express aggressive thoughts, aggressive rhetoric. Our assessment is that Azerbaijan is in preparation for a large-scale aggression against Armenia.” Pashinyan concluded.
