Several Federal and State Australian Parliamentarians have delivered statements calling on Azerbaijan to re-open the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor after six days of blockading the indigenous Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh, without access to Armenia or the outside world, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
Australian Senator for Western Australia and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson of The Australian Greens, Senator Jordan Steele-John; the Federal Member for North Sydney, Kylea Tink MP and New South Wales state parliamentarians including the Member for Prospect, Hugh McDermott MP and Member for Willoughby, Tim James MP, have taken to social media, expressing their support for the Republic of Artsakh by calling on Azerbaijan to unblock the only land link between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
On 12 December 2022 at 10:30 am local time, a group of Azerbaijani provocateurs with clear links to the Azerbaijani regime disguised as “environmentalist protesters”, blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway in both directions, leaving the over 120,000 Armenians of Artsakh without access to Armenia and the outside world.
Senator Steele-John said on Twitter, “The closure of the #Lachin Corridor could cause severe humanitarian implications. The @Greens call on Azerbaijan to urgently reopen the corridor to ensure free movement and security, and most importantly, to prevent this crisis escalating.” The statement can be read here.
Read also
Tink, the Member for North Sydney who has been working closely with the Armenian National Committee of Australia since her election in May 2022, took to Facebook and said: “On behalf of North Sydney’s vibrant Armenian Community, I call for the Lachin corridor to be re-opened for those living in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Azerbaijan in 2020 pledged to guarantee the safety of people, vehicles and goods travelling along the Lachin corridor, in both directions. Time to honour that pledge.” Her statement can be found here.
McDermott, the State Member for Prospect who visited the Republic of Artsakh as part of the first Federal-led delegation in 2019, said: “120,000 innocent Christian Armenians are trapped without access to food, medical and humanitarian supplies. For over 72 hours, the Azerbaijani petro-dictatorship has cut off all access between Artsakh and the outside world and has even cut off gas supplies for the second time this year leaving the people of Artsakh unable to heat their own homes, schools and hospitals.”
He added, “I condemn the Aliyev dictatorship who is using another despicable tactic to create unbearable living circumstances for the people of Artsakh with the intention of ethnically cleansing the region of its indigenous inhabitants. I stand with Artsakh and so must the Australian Government.” The statement can be read here.
James, a member of the Australian Friends of Artsakh network, also released a statement across several social media platforms, saying: “I stand with the people of Artsakh and call for the immediate reinstatement of transport and gas connections to avert a humanitarian crisis. I strongly condemn this blockade and call on other leaders to do likewise.” The statement can be read here.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia has called on all members of the Australian Friends of Artsakh Network to denounce Azerbaijan’s blockade via social media and write to Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong calling for Australia to signal clear support for the people of Artsakh by calling on Azerbaijan to open the Berdozr (Lachin) corridor.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia has also directly appealed to Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham to call on Azerbaijan to open the Stepanakert-Goris Highway which is the only land link between Armenia and Artsakh.
