Arthur Tovmasyan Welcomes PACE Resolution on Ensuring Free and Safe Access through the Lachin Corridor

The resolution titled "Ensuring Free and Safe Access through the Lachin Corridor" adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has been welcomed by Arthur Tovmasyan, the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh.

In his welcoming statement, the parliamentary president noted: "For a long time, the people of Artsakh have been under complete blockade, deprived even of the opportunity to receive humanitarian aid over the past week. The right of the Armenian population to live in their homeland is being violated before the eyes of the international community. In this context, the resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is commendable. It calls on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade, immediately implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice in The Hague, restore electricity and gas supplies to Artsakh, and ensure transport and the movement of people through the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

It is important to emphasize that Azerbaijan is directly called upon to abandon the hostile and threatening rhetoric against the Armenian population, and to resolve the rights and security issues of the Armenian population in Artsakh through dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, as well as through international neutral engagement. The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to invite a Council of Europe delegation to visit the Lachin Corridor and Artsakh with a fact-finding mission to assess the situation on the ground. The Assembly also urges Azerbaijan to allow entry for other international organizations, including UN agencies, into the region.

In this context, we state that the application of any mechanism aimed at peace is acceptable to us, and international observational and fact-finding missions are welcomed, which will shed light on the existing situation and curb Azerbaijan's aggressive policies. It is also important to note the Assembly's emphasis that the current situation is unstable and may lead to the departure of the Armenian population from their homeland.

The full weight of the created situation falls on the leadership of Azerbaijan, whose increasingly intense anti-Armenian rhetoric and provocative actions further escalate tensions in the region and lead the conflict into a deadlock."