A resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh has been submitted to the European Parliament, calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the freedom and safety of movement through the Lachin corridor. The document is to be debated today, January 18, with a vote scheduled for tomorrow.

Taking into account that the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been blocked since 12 December 2022, disrupting access to basic goods and services for tens of thousands of Armenians living there and preventing residents of Nagorno-Karabakh from leaving the region, the European Parliament condemns the actions of the Azerbaijani government and calls on Azerbaijani authorities to ensure freedom and security of movement through the corridor, including by air, in line with the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020.

MEPs also urge Azerbaijan to refrain from actions aimed at undermining the functioning of the transport and energy connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in the future.

The European Parliament also insists that the relevant UN agencies and international NGOs have unimpeded access to Nagorno-Karabakh to assess the situation and provide humanitarian assistance, particularly for the delivery of food and medicine, given the difficult medical situation and the risk of starvation.

The deputies call on Azerbaijan to act in such a way as to ensure that the strategic road of the Lachin corridor remains open and no protests can deprive the people of Nagorno-Karabakh of their rights to access basic services and goods and to freedom of movement, regardless of whether the protesters have real environmental problems or other grievances. 

 In the resolution, parliamentarians also call on EU and member state missions in both countries to increase support for the work of human rights defenders and, if necessary, to facilitate emergency visas and temporary asylum in EU member states. 

The MPs call on all parties, including the EU, to support civil society activities in promoting dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in order to establish mutual trust and conditions for long-term peace in the region as soon as possible; underlines the need for a comprehensive peace agreement that must provide firm guarantees for the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh; calls on the EU to play a more active role in promoting and de-escalating the situation in the Lachin corridor; instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU. 

The authors of the resolution are MEPs Viola von Cramon‑Taubadel, Michèle Rivasi, Sarah Wiener, Ignazio Corrao, Hannah Neumann, Ana Miranda, Rosa D'Amato, Francisco Guerreiro, Jordi Solé, Markéta Gregorová, Tineke Strik.