If Klaar is concerned about regional tensions, he should pay attention to Azerbaijan's provocations, says Artsakh's Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has commented on the statement made by the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar.

“We have taken note of the post made by EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar regarding the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia on social media on March 9, 2023. However, earlier, on March 8, in an interview with Azerbaijani media concerning the situation related to the blockade of the Lachin corridor, his expressions raise serious questions about the neutrality of the mediator status that the EU Special Representative aspires to,” the statement reads.

“In speaking about the alleged legitimacy of Azerbaijan's approaches to the Lachin corridor, the EU Special Representative conspicuously ignores the overall context of the current events. This context is that Azerbaijan has been unlawfully blocking the Lachin corridor for almost three months, violating not only the commitments undertaken in the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, but also grossly infringing upon the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh.”

“Under the pretext of needing control over the Lachin corridor, on March 5, the Azerbaijani armed forces carried out a terrorist act, taking the lives of three officers of the Police of the Republic of Artsakh and severely wounding another.”

“It should be emphasized that all of Azerbaijan's arguments regarding the blockade of the Lachin corridor, including the thesis about its alleged military use, have been rejected after thorough examination by the International Court of Justice, which mandated Azerbaijan to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles, and cargo through the Lachin corridor in both directions.”

“We again remind that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, as also stated by senior EU officials.”

“Such expressions supporting Azerbaijan's unlawful claims are perceived by Azerbaijan as a tolerance of its criminal policy of ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh, which is based on the denial of their inalienable rights to life, self-determination, freedom, and peaceful development.”

“Azerbaijan seeks to create conditions under which nothing will impede Baku from imposing control over all territory of Artsakh through force and completing its criminal plan to depopulate Artsakh.”

“If the EU Special Representative is indeed concerned about actions that escalate tensions in the region, we recommend paying attention to Azerbaijan's military provocations, aggressive and bellicose statements, as well as the deployment of new military subdivisions and other military infrastructures in the occupied territories of Artsakh.”