The Blocking of the Lachin Corridor Must Stop: Alexander Schallenberg

The Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has stated that they are concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a consequence of the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan.

After a meeting in Vienna with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Schallenberg declared that the blockade of the Lachin corridor must be lifted.

A statement from the Austrian Foreign Ministry indicated that during the working meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Austria and Armenia, ideas were exchanged regarding regional security, particularly related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Highlighting the recent negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, facilitated by the EU and the USA, the Austrian Foreign Ministry emphasized that these have sparked hopes for de-escalation.

It was also noted that Austria firmly advocates for the deployment of an EU civilian mission in Armenia to support the establishment of stability and security. Furthermore, it was mentioned that despite the justified focus on the events in Ukraine, other hot spots should not be overlooked.

“I am pleased with the strong commitment of the European Union and the negotiations held in Washington. This is the right direction, and I hope that one day there will be stability and a peace agreement. However, there are still many unresolved issues that need discussion. Among them is humanitarian concern, which worries us greatly—specifically, the blockade of the Lachin corridor. This blockade must stop,” stated the Austrian Foreign Minister.

It should be noted that the meeting also addressed the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. The Austrian Foreign Minister mentioned that Vienna is available as a venue for negotiations between Armenia and Turkey, recalling that Vienna has previously proven to be a center for dialogue and diplomacy.