In a declassified information note, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Armenia, Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC) and Boriana Åberg (Sweden, EPP/CD), on Tuesday shared their findings with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee following their visit to Armenia on February 17-19, PACE informed in a statement.

The purpose of their visit was to assess the situation on the border with Azerbaijan and at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor. During their stay, they visited the cities of Jermuk, Goris, and Vardenis, their surroundings, and met with local officials and Nagorno-Karabakh residents, blocked in Goris due to the ongoing obstruction of the Lachin Corridor.

Based on their observations, movement along the corridor is “severely obstructed”, making the transport of some essential supplies impossible. This situation could soon result in a humanitarian crisis.

Referring to the Trilateral Statement signed in November 2020, the rapporteurs called on Azerbaijan to allow an independent assessment of the situation. “We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to authorise an independent fact-finding visit and to allow independent journalists to operate freely in the whole area,” Mr Kiljunen and Ms Åberg added.