Yerevan /Mediamax/. At the end of an urgent debate on "Ensuring free and safe access through the Lachin Corridor”, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution "expressing its extreme concern” by events which have unfolded since the signature of the Trilateral Statement on 9 November 2020, and which culminated on 12 December 2022 with the interruption of the free and safe passage through the Lachin Corridor and the subsequent deliberate cutting of electricity and gas supplies to the region.

While fully recognising Azerbaijan’s concern to ensure security within its territory and at its borders, “the Assembly is struck by the fact that its leadership does not acknowledge the very serious humanitarian and human rights consequences stemming from the present situation”.

Adopting a resolution, based on the report prepared by Paul Gavan, the Assembly underlined that Azerbaijan has “the responsibility to protect and ensure the security of everyone living within its internationally recognised borders”. PACE noted that drawing international attention to the situation at the Lachin corridor and its human rights and humanitarian consequences “is necessary in recalling this responsibility”.

Recognising that the absence of free and safe access through the Lachin corridor “is part of a much broader issue”, the Assembly expressed its conviction that “a humanitarian response alone is not sufficient and that a political solution is needed”. It urgently called for addressing the issues of the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert and a neutral international involvement in any peace implementation mechanism to be put in place.

Noting that the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to urgently “take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions”, the Assembly called on Azerbaijan to also comply with this order urgently.

The Assembly said it is “extremely worried by the hostile and threatening rhetoric” used against Armenians at the highest level of Azerbaijan’s leadership and urged Azerbaijan to repudiate such rhetoric and take steps to tackle both hate speech, including by public and high-level officials, and hate crimes.

PACE also called on Azerbaijan to invite a Council of Europe delegation to visit the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh for a fact-finding mission, to assess the situation on the ground.