Traffic through the Lachin Corridor 'severely obstructed', will soon lead to humanitarian crisis says CoE PACE press office

Monitoring co-rapporteurs from Armenia held a press conference and discussed their findings after a visit to Armenia from February 17-19. This was reported by the press office of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The purpose of their visit was to assess the situation at the border with Azerbaijan and near the entrance to the Lachin Corridor. While in Armenia, they visited the towns of Jermuk, Goris, and Vardenis, meeting with local authorities and residents of Nagorno-Karabakh who were blocked in Goris due to the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

According to the co-rapporteurs, traffic through the corridor is 'severely obstructed', making it impossible to transport essential goods. This situation could soon lead to a humanitarian crisis.

Referencing the trilateral statement signed in November 2020, the speakers urged Azerbaijan to allow an independent assessment of the situation. 'We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to permit an independent fact-finding visit and to allow independent journalists to work freely throughout the region,' added Mr. Kilyunen and Ms. Oberg.