Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that discussions about the humanitarian evacuation of the Karabakh Armenians are dangerous as they might mean internationally legitimating Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan made the remarks in an interview with POLITICO, when asked about the worst case scenario, if the international community fails to mediate a deal in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“We should do everything to avoid that conflict. I think that the international attention that is now focused on Nagorno Karabakh, the presence of peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh, this should be able to become sufficient mechanisms in order for the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh to be able to live in their homes with dignity and security,” Pashinyan said. “Moreover, I consider the discussion of this topic [the humanitarian evacuation – Ed.) useless and also dangerous, because those who circulate such talks they try to bring new agendas to the table that might mean internationally legitimating the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, whoever manages to escape from Nagorno Karabakh, good for them, whoever does not manage will be subjected to genocide.”
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. On August 15, Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s office reported the first case of death from starvation.
