The parliamentary committees of the EU-Armenia partnership, the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation, and the EU-Georgia association announced that Azerbaijan has flagrantly violated its international obligations towards the Lachin corridor.
On Tuesday, serious concern was expressed in the European Parliament regarding the establishment of a checkpoint by Azerbaijan in the Lachin corridor. This step is fraught with negative consequences and can be considered as a clear violation of the ceasefire statement of November 9, 2020, and as an act of disrespecting the binding decision of the UN International Court of Justice on February 23, as per the joint statement issued by Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus, Andrey Kovatchev, the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Armenia, and Zeljana Zovko the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Azerbaijan.
The decision of the International Court of Justice obligates Azerbaijan to take all the measures at its disposal to ensure the unhindered movement of people and goods in both directions through the Lachin corridor, the aforesaid MEPs noted in their joint statement.
They recalled that the Azerbaijani blockade continues since December 12, 2022, and creates humanitarian difficulties for the people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and disrupts the prospects for peace. They called on Azerbaijan to immediately change its course, take responsibility for the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and follow international obligations and norms. The EU remains ready to assist the parties in settling all differences through negotiations, they added.
The MEPs expressed regret that Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor on the eve of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day on April 24. They honor the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide, and call on the international community to be vigilant against all cases of provocative rhetoric and actions that incite hatred and hinder reconciliation.
