According to Azerbaijan, Armenians should not live in Nagorno-Karabakh at all. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with CNN Prima News television, within the framework of his official visit to the Czech Republic.
“You know that Azerbaijan has illegally blocked the Lachin Corridor since December last year. We say illegally, because according to the tripartite declaration of November 9, the Lachin Corridor was established to ensure the connection of Nagorno Karabakh Armenians, Nagorno Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia. And according to the tripartite declaration, Azerbaijan should not have any control over that corridor. Moreover, the corridor is not only a road, but also a 5 km wide safety zone. The blocking is therefore illegal,” the Armenian PM said.
“As a result of the blockade, a humanitarian crisis has emerged in Nagorno-Karabakh, because, firstly, people are deprived of the right to move, and secondly, the supply of food and basic necessities takes place with interruptions, through the peacekeepers and the Red Cross. And the consequence of this is that people can buy goods in stores only with coupons issued by the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, so that food stocks can be managed,” Pashinyan noted.
“Natural gas and electricity cuts in Nagorno-Karabakh have been continuous since December of last year, and at the moment natural gas and electricity are not supplied to Nagorno-Karabakh. The most important consequence of this during the winter months was that all schools and kindergartens, higher education institutions were closed, and about 30,000 children and students were deprived of their right to education. Of course, with the weather getting warmer, kindergartens, schools, and universities have already opened, and the educational process has been restored,” the Armenian premier stated.
“The next important fact that should be noted in this context is the following. Already in February 2023, the International Court of Justice made a provisional decision obliging Azerbaijan to unblock the Lachin Corridor and ensure the movement of citizens and goods through the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijan not only did not comply with the requirement of that decision, which is legally binding because the International Court of Justice is the highest international court, but also illegally set up a checkpoint in the Lachin Corridor about ten days ago. This is a violation not only of the tripartite declaration of November 9, 2020, but also of the decision of the International Court of Justice,” Pashinyan said.
“So, why is Azerbaijan doing all this? Our assessment and belief is that these are not isolated actions, but preparations to carry out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, when I say ethnic cleansing, it is about that according to Azerbaijan, Armenians should not live in Nagorno Karabakh at all,” the Armenian PM concluded.
