“Today, I am sending a clear message to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and I am saying to lift the blockade of the Lachin Corridor immediately today,” Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary General of NATO, stated at a press conference in Jermuk. He said that he was in Armenia for the last time in 2012, and since that year, there have been many changes in Armenia. He said he arrived in RA at the invitation of the RA Government to help the government strengthen ties with the West and the European Union. He told the presents about his visit to the regions of Armenia.
“Today, I visited the southern regions of the Republic of Armenia to see with my own eyes the consequences of Azerbaijani aggression in Armenia. I visited Jermuk, and the mayor told me the negative impact the Azerbaijani attacks had on the city.”
Anders Fogh Rasmussen also visited the Lachine Corridor. On that occasion, he said: “Lachin Corridor is the only connection between Armenia and the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. The road between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh has been blocked since December last year. This blockade is neither humane nor legal. I met people who lived in Nagorno-Karabakh, and they told me about the crisis prevailing in Nagorno- Karabakh. The blockade means minimal food products and medicines can be transported to NK.
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This means a lack of food and medicines necessary for life in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are facing a humanitarian crisis that can turn into a humanitarian disaster. This blockade is illegal. The UN International Court decided weeks ago that Azerbaijan must open the corridor to ensure unhindered movement through the Lachan corridor and access to Nagorno-Karabakh. The decision is binding, which means that Azerbaijan must ensure access to the corridor for unrestricted movement.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
