Ararat Mirzoyan Discusses Humanitarian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh with ICRC President

On August 1, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a phone conversation with Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

“The discussions focused on the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockage of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the imperative need for the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the urgent supply of food, medicine, and other essential goods to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Minister Mirzoyan highlighted the importance of ensuring the proper and continuous operation of the sole international humanitarian organization with access to Nagorno-Karabakh, the ICRC, and condemned Azerbaijan’s attempts to obstruct and discredit the ICRC's humanitarian activities.

In this context, the minister referred to the incident on July 29, where Vagif Khachatryan, who has serious health issues, was abducted by the Azerbaijani border service while being transferred from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia under ICRC escort for treatment. He described this act as insidious and unacceptable, in violation of international humanitarian law norms and aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the statement said.