The PACE has just voted on the resolution “Ensuring Free Safe Access along the Lachin Corridor” and recommendations. Ruben Rubinyan, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, announced this on his Facebook page.
The Azerbaijani delegation did everything to change the resolution or fail its adoption, but nothing happened. About 60 amendments proposed by them were rejected and the resolution was adopted. Contrary to Azerbaijan’s claims, the PACE resolution clearly states that there is no free and safe movement along the Lachin corridor.
The resolution mainly deals with the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin corridor and human rights violations by Azerbaijan, emphasizes the need to urgently send an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh, calls on Azerbaijan to immediately comply with the decisions of the ECtHR and the international court, calls on Azerbaijan to restore supplies electricity and gas to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The resolution also contains a targeted call to Azerbaijan to abandon hostile and threatening rhetoric against Armenians.
In the resolution, among other points, in particular, it is fixed:
▪️The Assembly is extremely concerned about the interruption of free and safe movement along the Lachin Corridor and the subsequent deliberate interruption of the supply of electricity and gas;
▪️The Assembly is shocked by the fact that the leadership of Azerbaijan does not accept the most serious humanitarian and human rights consequences arising from the current situation;
▪️The Assembly deeply regrets that the PACE rapporteur during his fact-finding visit was not invited to Azerbaijan and could not go to the Lachin corridor;
▪️The Assembly stresses that the current situation is unstable and may lead to the fact that the Armenian population will be forced to leave their homes and communities if the conflict is not resolved;
▪️In this context, the Assembly calls for the immediate resolution of the rights and security issues of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through a dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, as well as ensuring neutral international involvement for the application of any mechanism aimed at peace;
▪️The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to comply with provisional measures without further extension and to urgently comply also with the decision of the International Court of Justice.
▪️The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to invite a Council of Europe delegation to visit the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh on a fact-finding mission to assess the situation on the ground and take a constructive and peaceful approach to neighboring Armenia and the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.
▪️PACE calls on Azerbaijan to make every effort for free and safe movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions.
▪️PACE calls on Azerbaijan to immediately restore electricity and gas supplies and agree with the Armenians on a new route for gas and electricity supplies through Armenian, not Azerbaijani territory.
▪️The Assembly is extremely concerned about the hostile and threatening rhetoric of the Azerbaijani leadership towards Armenians at the highest level and calls on Azerbaijan to abandon such rhetoric and take steps to combat both hate speech, including from the public and high-ranking officials, and crimes motivated hate.
