UN calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to hold talks on Lachin Corridor
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The United Nations calls on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to conduct dialogue over the Lachin Corrido issue in light of the recent developments regarding the region.
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Azerbaijani protesters gather on the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh on December 13, 2022 (Anadolu Agency)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the issue they have over the Lachin corridor by holding talks on the matter in a bid to enable safe and free movement at the nearest opportunity possible.
"We call on the sides to resolve pending issues through a dialogue, urgently enable free & safe movement, protect human rights & avoid adverse humanitarian impact on civilians," the OHCHR tweeted.
Since December 12, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, which runs de jure through the Lachin district of Azerbaijan, has been blocked by an Azerbaijani group, described by state media as environmental activists protesting against Armenia's illegal mining in the area.
Yerevan called the move a provocation by Baku meant to cause a humanitarian collapse in the region. Azerbaijan has also reportedly cut off gas supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Thousands of Armenians protested on Sunday in the city of Stepanakert in the Nagorno-Karabakh region to object to the blocking of the only road between the contested region and Armenia.
The demonstrators raised a giant Armenian flag in the city's Renaissance Square area.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two conflicts over the Armenian-populated area of Nagorno-Karabakh, one in 2020 and one in the 1990s, and now are quarreling over the Lachin corridor.
Six weeks of violence in the autumn of 2020 claimed over 6,500 lives and ended with a ceasefire accord sponsored by Russia. Russia sent 2,000 peacekeepers to monitor the truce, but tensions remain despite a ceasefire deal.
Azerbaijani activists have blocked for around two weeks the Lachin corridor, which is the only road path connecting Armenia to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The activists claimed they are demonstrating against illegal mining.
Yerevan accused Baku of being behind the blockade, which the latter denied, arguing that demonstrators and environmentalists closed the road in response to Armenia's "illegal activities" in the region.
According to the Armenian parliament, the road blockade has caused the region to face major food, fuel, and medicine shortages, while Baku claims that the road is not blocked and civilian vehicles are free to go to and from Nagorno-Karabakh.
