Category: Selected Articles

In a call with Foreign Minister @Bayramov_Jeyhun, I reiterated my concerns regarding the humanitarian situation facing Karabakh Armenians.

The Lachin corridor must be re-opened now. Other roads, such as Aghdam, can be opened as part of the solution, but not an alternative.

On September 12, Vahe Gevorgyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, participated and delivered remarks at the  OSCE Special Permanent Council meeting in Vienna convened at the initiative of Armenia. MFA of Armenia informs. 

The Deputy Foreign Minister drew the attention of the representatives of the OSCE participating states to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor for  9 months now, as well as the actions aimed at escalating  the security situation by the Azerbaijani armed forces along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Vahe Gevorgyan emphasized that Azerbaijan’s inhumane blockade of the 120,000 Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the complete cessation of humanitarian supplies, accompanied by the deliberate disruption of key infrastructures – electricity and gas supplies, led to an extreme humanitarian crisis, with the final goal of complete ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of the wider picture of the decades-long incitement of hatred against Armenians, policy of use of force and threat of force, grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law – all constituting warning signs of genocidal intent”, – noted Vahe Gevorgyan.

The Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that Azerbaijan should heed the calls of the international community and unconditionally implement  the Order of the International Court of Justice of 2023, adopted on 23 February and reaffirmed on 6 July, to end the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles and cargo between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in both directions.

Vahe Gevorgyan highlighted the urgent need for unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh and engagement with pertinent international organizations on the ground.

Touching upon the security situation in the region, the Deputy Foreign Minister criticized the movements and build-up of personnel, offensive hardware and military equipment carried out by Azerbaijan along the border with Armenia and the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh. He stressed that these actions are nothing less than a threat to use force, which indicates that Azerbaijan is preparing for a new military attack on Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

“While Armenia continues to stay committed to the settlement of all outstanding issues with Azerbaijan purely through political and diplomatic means, we expect the international community and our partners to undertake all the efforts and employ the means at their disposal to prevent another aggression in our region”, emphasized Vahe Gevorgyan.

The Deputy Foreign Minister reiterated Armenia’s commitment to achieving stability and lasting peace in the region and emphasized that this can only be accomplished under conditions which exclude the use or threat of force and mass violations of fundamental human rights.

The ultimate importance of international efforts to safeguard the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and a strong international mechanism for the dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku, which would ensure tangible outcomes during the process was underscored in remarks.

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On September 12, President of the Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan visited the Ministry of Defense and held a command conference with the leading staff of the republic’s power structures. Information Department of the Office of the President of the Republic of Artsakh informs. 

During the consultation, the military-political situation in the region was discussed. Reference was made to the movements and accumulations carried out by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan from September 5 until the present. 

Particular attention was paid to the issues of ensuring the security of the civilian population in the conditions of a humanitarian crisis and in case of possible developments of the situation, as well as to the objectives of the defense ministry of the republic in the current situation.

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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Bob Menendez warned U.S. lawmakers that Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh has all the hallmarks of genocide and pledged to hold Azerbaijan accountable.

The Senator called on the Biden Administration to enforce Section 907 and stop all security assistance to Azerbaijan. He went on to call for sanctions against the Aliyev regime for war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

“To the men organizing and carrying out this brutal campaign, we will hold you accountable for your crimes, even if it takes a lifetime – you will pay a price, you will face justice – and I certainly will not rest until you do so,” Menendez said in the U.S. Senate.

The Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh, which is home to 120,000 Armenians, to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022.

The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor.

Many experts and officials have said that the Azeri actions constitute genocide. 

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has again called on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to reopen the Lachin Corridor, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday in a readout of the call which took place on September 1.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on September 1 to express the United States’ concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.  He reiterated our call to reopen the Lachin Corridor to humanitarian, commercial, and passenger traffic, while recognizing the importance of additional routes from Azerbaijan.  The Secretary underscored the need for a dialogue and compromise and the importance of building confidence between the parties.  He pledged continued U.S. support to the peace process,” the U.S. State Department said in the readout.