PACE adopted the resolution "Ensuring free, safe access through the Lachin Corridor"

The PACE adopted the resolution and consultations on "Ensuring free, safe access through the Lachin Corridor" by voting. Ruben Rubinyan, head of the RA NA delegation to the PACE, wrote about this on his Facebook page.

"The delegation of Azerbaijan did everything to change the resolution or to defeat its adoption, but nothing was achieved. About 60 amendments they proposed were rejected and the resolution passed. Contrary to Azerbaijan's claims, the PACE resolution clearly states that there is no free and safe movement through the Lachin Corridor.

The resolution mainly addresses the humanitarian and human rights consequences of Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor, emphasizes the need for the urgent mission of the international fact-finding mission to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh, calls on Azerbaijan to immediately implement the decisions of the ECtHR and the International Court of Justice, calls on Azerbaijan to restore electricity and gas supply to Nagorno Karabakh.

Azerbaijan is also addressed to abandon the hostile and threatening rhetoric used against Armenians.

The resolution, among other points, specifically states: “The Assembly is extremely concerned about the interruption of free and safe movement through the Lachine Corridor and the subsequent deliberate shutdown of electricity and gas supplies.

The Assembly is shocked by the fact that the leadership of Azerbaijan does not acknowledge the serious humanitarian and human rights implications of the current situation. The Assembly deeply regrets that the PACE rapporteur was not invited to Azerbaijan during his fact-finding visit and was unable to go to the Lachin Corridor.

The Assembly emphasizes that the current situation is not stable and may lead to the Armenian population being forced to leave their homes and communities if the conflict is not resolved. In this context, the Assembly calls to urgently address the rights and security issues of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh through dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, as well as to ensure international neutral involvement for the use of any peace-oriented mechanism.

The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to fulfill the 2022 deadline without further extension. ECtHR interim measures applied on December 21. The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to urgently implement the decision of the International Court of Justice.

The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to invite the delegation of the Council of Europe on a fact-finding mission to visit the Lachine Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh to assess the situation on the ground. The Assembly also calls on Azerbaijan to allow other international organizations, including UN institutions, to enter the region.

The Assembly calls on Azerbaijan to show a truly constructive and peaceful approach towards neighboring Armenia and Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. PACE calls on Azerbaijan to make all efforts for free and safe movement in both directions through the Lachin Corridor. PACE calls on Azerbaijan to immediately restore the supply of electricity and gas and to agree with the Armenians on a new route for the supply of gas and power grids passing through Armenian, not Azerbaijani, territory.

The Assembly is deeply concerned about the hostile and threatening rhetoric against Armenians at the highest levels of Azerbaijan's leadership and urges Azerbaijan to desist from such rhetoric and take steps to combat both hate speech, including by the public and high-ranking officials, and hate crimes." Rubinyan wrote.

The Azerbaijani side presented more than 50 proposals, about a dozen of which suggested changing the name "Nagorno-Karabakh" to "Karabakh" in the text of the resolution.

All the proposals of the Azerbaijani side were rejected, only one proposal was accepted, by which the mention of Nagorno-Karabakh was removed from the first paragraph. The initial version of the first paragraph stated that Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for the last 30 years.