Chairman of the EU Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus, Member of the European Parliament Marina Kaljurand, Member of the European Parliament Permanent Rapporteur on the issue of Armenia, Member of Parliament Andrey Kovatchev, Permanent Rapporteur of the European Parliament on the topic of Azerbaijan Zeljana Zovko issued a joint statement on the subject of the establishment of a checkpoint by Azerbaijan in the Lachin Corridor.
In particular, it is said in the statement: "We express our strong concern about 2023 on April 23 in connection with establishing a checkpoint by Azerbaijan in the Lachin Corridor. This could have possible negative consequences and be seen as a clear violation of the cease-fire declaration of November 9, 2020, as well as an act of disrespect for the binding judgment of the International Court of Justice of February 22, 2023, which obliged Azerbaijan to "take all measures at its disposal." the measures to ensure the unimpeded movement of people, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachine Corridor.
The Azerbaijani blockade of the corridor has been ongoing since December 12, 2022, causing humanitarian difficulties to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh and significantly undermining the prospects for peace. The latest actions aggravate the situation even more. We call on Baku to immediately change its policy, commit to peacefully settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and respect international obligations and norms. The European Union is ready to support the parties to resolve all their differences through negotiations."