Armenia, U.S. discuss deteriorating humanitarian situation in Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried discussed the situation in Nagorno Karabakh amid Azerbaijan’s closure of the Lachin corridor.

Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the humanitarian situation deteriorating daily since December 12, 2022 due to Azerbaijan’s blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the world. It was emphasized that with its actions Azerbaijan grossly violates the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020.

The Armenian side noted that the alleged environmental justifications and accusations of the Azerbaijani side for blocking the corridor are false. Mirzoyan stressed that Azerbaijan is obliged to unblock the regime of the Lachin Corridor defined by the November Trilateral Statement without any preconditions.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia also presented to the interlocutor the recent developments regarding the normalization process of Armenia-Turkey relations.

Since December 12, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by self-described Azerbaijani environmentalists. Karabakh residents have reported food and fuel shortages, while hospital patients don't have access to essential medicines, with only a handful allowed transfer to facilities in Armenia proper.