Alarmed by the ongoing developments in the Lachin corridor, Vice-President Pere Joan Pons (Spain), OSCE PA Special Representative on South Caucasus, expressed concern over the humanitarian impact on the lives of local Armenian residents in the region and calls for the resumption of a constructive dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, armradio.am reports.
“I have been closely following the reports regarding ongoing developments surrounding the Lachin corridor and I am highly concerned over the reported impact on the daily lives of the local residents in the area, as the access to essential goods and services has been limited now for several weeks. While I commend the efforts, particularly of the ICRC, in alleviating the effects of the ongoing protest on the Lachin road, I appeal to all sides to intensify their efforts in ensuring that the situation is addressed in a swift manner,” Pons said.
Vice-President Pons also echoed OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani in his call upon all sides to ease tensions and engage in a constructive and productive dialogue, aimed at building trust and normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“Whenever political disagreements persist and negotiations might be at a deadlock, our governments should not be callous and resort to methods that leave our citizens victim to our inability to reach political consensus,” Pons stressed. “We should also remember that the longer this dispute remains unresolved, that it does not just negatively impact the fragile peace process, but also undermines the foundation for a future peaceful coexistence in the region.”
The Special Representative recalled that with the OSCE, the tools to overcome the current crisis are available, yet it is up to the sides to make a full use of them, as well as to other governments and parliaments, to support this process in an unbiased manner and ensure the advancement of constructive negotiations, based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly stands ready to support this process, Pons underlined, wherever needed and deemed useful.
