Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has raised the need for the provision of food, medicine, essential products to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh with, as well as ensuring uninterrupted electricity and gas supply.
Lavrov made the remarks following talks with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, in Moscow on Tuesday, July 25.
“This is in the interests of ordinary people, Armenians, residents of the region. We outlined to the sides the assessments of the Russian side, taking into account the reports provided by Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Lavrov said.
The issue of ensuring unhindered movement, unblocking transport and economic communications throughout the region was also raised. Particular attention was paid to the issues of delimitation, which are closely related to the entire set of problems under discussion and issues of the speedy conclusion of a peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan.
At a bilateral meeting with Mirzoyan, Lavrov maintained that the Russian peacekeeping mission has the capacity to contribute to the solution of humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia – the Lachin Corridor – has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population.
