On March 2, at the initiative of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE “the issue of the decision made by the International Court of Justice regarding the Lachin corridor” was brought to the agenda of the OSCE Permanent Council where the delegations of many countries delivered remarks on the need for the implementation of the court's decision.
During the session, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia Armen Papikyan touched upon in detail the decision made by the International Court of Justice, where it is stated that there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm to the rights of Armenians within the framework of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and ordered Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.
The Ambassador underlined that the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, however Azerbaijan has not lifted the blockade of the Lachin corridor yet. Armen Papikyan noted that it has been 80 days since Azerbaijan started the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only road that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the world.
Azerbaijan has also disrupted the electricity supply and regularly disrupts gas supply. As a result, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. At the same time, Azerbaijan stated at the highest level that they can unblock the corridor for all those who want to leave Nagorno-Karabakh.
That is nothing but a policy of slowly implemented ethnic cleansing and a blatant contempt for the implementation of the decision of the International Court of Justice.
Ambassador Papikyan specifically noted that despite the ongoing claims of Azerbaijan, the Court clearly used the Nagorno-Karabakh term in its decision. By its decision, the Court confirmed the principle of human rights, which must be strictly protected everywhere, regardless of the political status of the area where the people live.
Highly appreciating clear statements of a number of organizations and countries regarding the decision of the international court, he emphasized the need for appropriate involvement of the OSCE in addressing the humanitarian crisis in his area of responsibility.
