The House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus adopted a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Armenian civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), Armenia’s Embassy to Greece reports.
“Recalling the previous resolutions on October 9, 2020 and December 3, 2021 regarding Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh),
Considering the resolution of the European Parliament of January 19, 2023,
Given that the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia and the world, the Lachin Corridor, has been blocked by self-proclaimed Azerbaijani environmentalists since December 12, 2022, which in turn has resulted in the loss of basic goods and services for the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), including restricting access to food, fuel and medicine, effectively leading to a blockade of the latter,
Stressing that this blockade has created a serious humanitarian crisis, significantly affecting the most vulnerable groups of the population, including children, subjecting them to inhumane living conditions, while the transport of critically ill patients is almost impossible, with all the subsequent catastrophic consequences,
Following with concern the further aggravation of this humanitarian crisis, with the interruption of natural gas supply from Azerbaijan to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), as a result of which houses, hospitals and schools were left without heating,
Recalling that Azerbaijan, by continuing the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, violates its international obligations under the Trilateral Ceasefire Statement of November 9, 2020, according to which Azerbaijan must guarantee the safety of people, vehicles and cargo in both directions of the Lachin Corridor,
Noting that the blockade of Lachin Corridor is an obstacle to the peaceful process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and undermines international trust,
For all the above reasons, the House of Representatives
1. Condemns Azerbaijan's continuous violations of the ceasefire regime and the targeting of the civilian population and expresses its dismay at the blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the tragic humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
2. Calls on Azerbaijan to respect and implement the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and to ensure the rights and security of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), as well as to restore free access to the Lachin Corridor,
3. Supports the need for a comprehensive peace agreement that should guarantee the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and calls for an immediate, unconditional resumption of negotiations based on the principles of the Helsinki Final Act.
4. Calls on Azerbaijan not to disrupt the transport, energy and communication links between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in the future.
5. Unequivocally condemns the fact that Azerbaijan uses people posing as human rights defenders and civil society organizations in order to create a humanitarian crisis.
6. Expresses his disappointment regarding the inactivity of the Russian peacekeepers.
7. Emphasizes the need for international organizations to have full and unimpeded access to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in order to assess the situation in the region and provide the necessary humanitarian assistance.
8. Calls on the UN, the EU and the international community to implement conditions to ensure their political influence, so that the people of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) no longer remain hostages to Azerbaijan's aggression.
