Artsakh Foreign Ministry on Closure of Stepanakert-Goris Highway by Azerbaijanis

This inhumane act once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan's primary goal of depopulating Artsakh, carrying out ethnic cleansing, and genocide remains unchanged. This statement was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh in response to the closure of the Stepanakert-Goris road by Azerbaijanis.

“On December 3 at noon, the Azerbaijani side committed yet another provocation by closing the Stepanakert-Goris highway at the intersection near Shushi-Karin Tak, thus cutting off Artsakh's connection to Armenia and communication with the villages in the Berdadzor subregion of the Shushi province. This inhumane act further proves that Azerbaijan's ultimate goal remains unchanged— to depopulate Artsakh, carry out ethnic cleansing, and commit genocide.

This terrorist step also undermines the internationally reached agreements regarding the Lachin corridor and deals a treacherous blow to the peacekeeping mission of the Russian Federation, which aims to maintain peace and stability in the region.

Azerbaijan's genocidal policies and actions pose a serious challenge to the civilized world and reflect a blatant disrespect and contempt for international law.

We call upon the international community to severely condemn Azerbaijan’s state-sponsored anti-Armenian policies and to take effective steps to restrain the aggressor,” the statement reads.