“Azerbaijan guarantees the security of movement of citizens, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor, while the Russian peacekeeping contingent is keeping the Lachin Corridor under its control. Azerbaijan’s narrative in international platforms claiming the Lachin Corridor is open for traffic is fake and has nothing to do with reality. The Lachin Corridor is closed by Azerbaijan and constitutes a gross violation of its international obligation. Even if we were to assume the version of the Azeri propaganda that eco-activists have closed the Lachin Corridor, still under clause 6 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement ensuring safe movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor is Azerbaijan’s direct obligation,” PM Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.

The Armenian PM added that the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh and Russia – who has assumed concrete security obligations before the people of Nagorno Karabakh- must make clear explanations in these conditions.

“What’s Russia’s assessment of the situation? What’s its plan and roadmap for restoring the Lachin Corridor? The public of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh expects answers to these questions from Russia, who is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. If for objective or subjective reasons Russia is unable to ensure stability and security in Nagorno Karabakh, then I believe it must initiate a discussion in the UN Security Council and raise the issue of either granting the UN Security Council mandate to the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh or deploying an additional, multinational peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh. This question arises because the Azeri closure of the Lachin Corridor is not the first case of Azerbaijan’s invasion into the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh. The events in Parukh in March of 2022 and the events in Khtsabred in December of 2020, as a result of which around three dozen citizens of Armenia are still held captive, preceded this,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan added that the Armenian government should on a daily basis inform the world about the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh. “Our partner countries, international organizations must be informed in detail about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the deterioration of the situation,” Pashinyan said.