Armenia's Foreign Ministry on The Hague Court's Recent Decision

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia welcomes the decision of the International Court of Justice made on July 6, 2023, the full text of which was provided to the parties on July 11.

“The Court unanimously reaffirms its decision of February 22, 2023, again obligating Azerbaijan to take all measures within its power, in accordance with its obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin corridor until a final decision on the case is reached,” the statement read.

In its binding legal decision dated July 6, the Court unanimously confirmed that the February 22, 2023 decision is “applicable without limitation” to the checkpoint established by Azerbaijan and that the presence and operation of an Azerbaijani checkpoint in the Lachin corridor is indeed racial discrimination.

It is important to note that the Court has deemed “the tense situation between the parties confirms the necessity for the effective implementation of this decision,” which was adopted to prevent irreparable harm to the rights of ethnic Armenians protected under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, rights that have been intentionally ignored and are still being ignored by Azerbaijan.

Thus, the Court, through its July 6 decision, reaffirms Azerbaijan's international legal obligation to take all necessary measures to ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo through the Lachin corridor in both directions and, accordingly, to immediately cease the operation of its checkpoint, as it undeniably hinders the rights of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh established by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

We can note that the Court’s decision of July 6 once again proves that Azerbaijan's claims regarding the implementation of the Court’s February 22 decision were false and manipulative. We also call upon other international actors, particularly the UN Security Council, to take all necessary steps to ensure the immediate and effective implementation of the Court's decision by Azerbaijan,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.