Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, says the obstruction by Azerbaijan of movement along the Lachin corridor is unacceptable and is fraught with serious dangers of economic and humanitarian crisis for the population of Nagorno Karabakh.

In an interview with Armenpress, Colonna stressed that this conduct by Azerbaijan also obstructs the peace talks with Armenia, to which Prime Minister Pashinyan is decisively committed to, and it poses a serious threat to regional stability, which is already deeply impacted by the current geopolitical context.

As per the French PM, a few weeks ago the International Court of Justice delivered a ruling, demanding Azerbaijan to take all means within its authority to ensure movement along the Lachin corridor.

“The ruling is binding for everyone, and it must be respected. In this regard, the decision by Azerbaijan to install a checkpoint at the entrance of the new road in Lachin corridor is deeply concerning, as noted by the European Union and the United States,” Colonna added.

The French FM stressed that her country wants all disputes to be resolved exclusively through negotiations.

“This is the foundation of France’s commitment, next with the EU. And I am visiting Azerbaijan and Armenia this week to make this call to responsibility, resumption of talks, and respect for the law to be heard,” Colonna added.

“We want negotiations to begin—with support of the international community—between the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and the Azerbaijani authorities around the content of the population’s rights and guarantees. This implies that favorable conditions must be created for the negotiations, namely around the issue of restoring free movement along the Lachin corridor.

“France will support any solution that would allow to guarantee that the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh can continue to live there safely, by preserving its history, heritage, and culture. It is their inalienable right,” the French FM noted.