YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has said that Austria is “greatly worried” about the blockade of the Lachin corridor, describing it as a “humanitarian concern”.

Schallenberg called for an end to the blockade of Lachin Corridor.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with Schallenberg in Vienna on July 18.

The occasion of the meeting was the signing of the implementation protocol on the readmission agreement between Armenia and the EU. Additionally, the regional security situation in the South Caucasus was at the center of their discussions.

During the meeting, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on regional security, particularly the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Austrian foreign ministry said in a readout.

Recently, there have been talks mediated by the EU and the United States between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which the Austrian foreign ministry described as having "raised hopes for an easing of tensions." 

Austria has previously advocated strongly for a civilian EU mission in Armenia to support the path towards stability and security. “Despite the rightful focus on Ukraine, other potential hotspots must not be overlooked,” the Austrian foreign ministry said in the readout.

“I am grateful for the strong commitment of the EU and the talks in Washington. It is going in the right direction and I hope that one day there will be a sustainable peace agreement. However, there are still many open questions that need to be discussed. Among them, there is a humanitarian concern that greatly worries us - the blockade of the Lachin corridor. This blockade must end,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said after the meeting.

Furthermore, the relations between Armenia and other neighbouring countries, particularly Russia and Turkey, were also addressed.

He also emphasized that Vienna is of course available as a venue for talks on the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey.

Additionally, Schallenberg highlighted the important role of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), based in Vienna, in relation to security in the Caucasus and beyond.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations and the Red Cross has been facilitating the medical evacuations of patients.