Azerbaijan May Use Military Force to Impose Zangezur Corridor, Says Mordan

Jessica Mordan, a member of the UK Parliament from the Labour Party, expressed sadness over the actions taken against Armenians: “We have been warned many times, in strong terms, that while the eyes of the world are elsewhere, Azerbaijan will seize control of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Russia will stand by its side. And that is exactly what happened after a six-month blockade intended to brutally expel the ethnic Armenian population, which the European Parliament described as ethnic cleansing. That’s why we must now heed the warnings from those we met in Yerevan just a few weeks ago, who told us that the threat of escalation is always present. In fact, four Armenian soldiers were killed there during our visit. I am referring to the attacks on 30 villages, incidents at the border, and the fear that Azerbaijan may use military force to impose the Zangezur transportation corridor, referring to Armenia as 'Western Azerbaijan.' This is a fragile ceasefire. I hope the Minister will take these concerns seriously and do everything in his power and with his relations with Azerbaijan to resolve issues with our friendly country, Armenia,” she stated during a UK Parliament discussion titled “International Support for Nagorno-Karabakh Refugees.”

She noted that most of the forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh ended up in Armenia, though some are in Russia and Europe. “We are talking about over 100,000 refugees, nearly the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh, but we must also remember the 40,000 displaced during the 2020 conflict. One in every 30 inhabitants of Armenia is now from Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the Armenian government has tried to do everything to integrate them, long-term support is necessary. I will never forget the refugees we met in Jermuk. We promised them that we would raise our voice, and we are doing that today. They have endured a six-month blockade with no food, medicine, energy, or fuel, surrounded and completely isolated. We heard harrowing stories about those killed and injured, about people forced to walk to Armenia for three days because fuel was only sold at inflated prices, and of those who died on that journey. We heard reports about Russian peacekeepers selling food at exorbitant prices, exploiting human misery.

International humanitarian assistance has come, but more is needed. Sixty international and local organizations have provided help, and Armenia has taken a loan from the World Bank. The diaspora, including the community in South Wales, has also contributed, but long-term integration will require more, where housing and employment are priorities,” the member of Parliament said.

Mordan emphasized that humanitarian issues should be prioritized alongside diplomatic negotiations. “Therefore, it would be good to hear from the Minister what more the United Kingdom government can do with its international partners to address the dire situation of the refugees and the scale of the problem. We have already discussed the £1 million in aid being provided and how that should be increased. Can the Minister also explain what he knows about the UN response plan? In general, can the Minister explain what discussions the government is having with the Azerbaijani government regarding their right to return?” she questioned.