VIDEO: The Blockade of the Lachin Corridor Has Led to Real Environmental Problems in Artsakh, Says Pashinyan

Yesterday, Azerbaijan once again closed the gas supply pipeline to Nagorno-Karabakh, which had just been restored a day earlier. This was announced today, February 9, at a government meeting by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“Prior to that, Azerbaijan had opened the pipeline 7 days ago and then closed it again 4 days ago. Since December 12, Azerbaijan has stopped gas supply to Artsakh 7 times, and this statistic does not reflect the entire picture because interruptions and restorations of gas supplies also occur in between various events. For example, the gas supply is not completely stopped, but rather at 50%, then it becomes 70%, then drops to 10%, then is restored to 30%, then fully restored, only to drop back to 40%, and so on,” the Prime Minister stated.

According to him, such fluctuations can sometimes occur several times a day or several days in a row. “Moreover, this is not the initiative of ‘environmentalists,’ but rather a state-run action, because if the ‘environmentalists’ are present and visible in the Lachin Corridor, they have not been observed near the gas pipeline. Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has made approximately 27 such actions regarding the gas supply pipeline to Artsakh.

The illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, which is masked as ‘environmental’ concern, has led to real environmental problems in Artsakh, particularly since, as you know, Azerbaijan has also blocked the electricity supply to Artsakh. Since local energy production capacities are insufficient, the authorities in Artsakh are forced to implement rolling blackouts for 6-8-10 hours a day depending on the weather. In these conditions, our compatriots in Artsakh are compelled to use wood to heat their homes, which leads to deforestation and has the potential to create a serious environmental disaster, especially considering that it has snowed in Artsakh at night and temperatures can drop to -5 degrees Celsius.

“Thus, once again, Azerbaijan’s alleged environmental intentions are refuted,” said Pashinyan, adding that the closure of the Lachin Corridor has led not only to a humanitarian crisis but also to an environmental one. “The purpose of Azerbaijan’s actions is to break the will of the people of Artsakh to live in their homeland, which we believe is unbreakable. However, we must intensify our efforts to draw international attention to the humanitarian, and now also environmental, crisis in Artsakh, which is a result of Azerbaijan's aggressive and provocative actions,” he stated.

Pashinyan expressed gratitude to those countries and international organizations that have taken an objective stance on the ongoing crisis in Artsakh. “I believe it is necessary for the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the humanitarian and environmental crisis established in Artsakh to become subjects of more institutional international discussion because only the unwavering activity of the international community is a way to deter Azerbaijan’s aggression and provocative actions,” Pashinyan declared.