1lurer.am. During the question-and-answer session held in the European Parliament, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, also referred to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh and the blocking of the Lachin Corridor.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan were discussed as a separate agenda item at the 26 June 2023 Foreign Affairs Council where the High Representative/Vice-President provided an overview of the deteriorating situation resulting from the almost total blockage of the Lachin corridor. He warned Foreign Ministers of the risk of a humanitarian crisis and conveyed the European Parliament’s call to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan. Several Member States expressed support for the efforts of the President of the European Council and the High Representative, and voiced concern over the continuous blockage of the corridor.
The EU has been closely following developments in and around the Lachin corridor and their humanitarian implications since the beginning of December 2022. The EU has repeatedly called for the full opening of the corridor and remains heavily engaged at the highest level in helping Armenia and Azerbaijan work towards mutually acceptable normalisation of relations.
In this regard, the suspension of the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy signed on 18 July 2022 with Azerbaijan1, part of the EU’s efforts to diversify its energy sources, is currently not being considered. However, the EU will continue to impress on Baku the need to urgently address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and that failure to adequately do so could have a practical impact on its relations with the EU,” the statement reads.
