Armenian envoy Yeghisheh Kirakosyan has delivered a speech at the UN’s International Court of Justice, calling on Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin corridor, a vital transport artery that links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, TASS reports.
“One person has already died due to lack of access to medical services, and many more can suffer the same fate. Shop shelves are empty, people don’t have enough food. Trade and business are suspended, gas and electricity are regularly turned off,” he said.
The Armenian envoy also noted that attempts to resolve the deadlock were made by many international and non-governmental organisations, but their efforts failed to bear fruit. “Therefore, the appeal to this court is our last hope,” he stressed.
On 12 December, Azerbaijani citizens who introduced themselves as environmental activists blocked off the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh. This is the only road that links Karabakh with Armenia.
According to the trilateral agreements reached following the 2020 Karabakh war, the road “remains under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent”, while Baku provided guarantees that the travel along the corridor in both directions would be safe.
On 27 December, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told Putin that Russian peacekeepers had lost control over the corridor.
