We’ve called for full restoration of free movement through Lachin Corridor: Price

• 01.26.2023, 12:10
•  America,  World,  NKR

The worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has been of significant concern to us, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price announced this during the briefing, 1lurer.am reports.

“We’ve made the point that ongoing obstruction of normal commercial and private travel along the Lachin corridor is causing these very shortages of food, of fuel and medicine, for the residents – the many residents who depend on this corridor for those basic supplies. These periodic disruptions to natural gas and other basic utilities further exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation.

We’ve called for the full restoration of free movement through the corridor, including commercial and private travel. We need to find a solution to this impasse that will ensure the safety and the well-being of the population living in this area. We believe the way forward is through negotiations. We remain committed to supporting a lasting peace. We’ve demonstrated both in word and in deed our willingness to engage with the parties, whether that’s bilaterally, whether that’s multilaterally through the OSCE, whether that’s trilaterally with both Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts at the table,” Price said.

“But above all, we believe that negotiations is the path forward. In the near term, we’ve called for that restoration of free movement so that the humanitarian needs of those who depend on this corridor for lifesaving essentials and supplies can be met, and the United States will continue to do what we can to bring the parties together, to encourage this dialogue, and to encourage a full restoration of this free movement through the corridor,” Price added.

Price informed that US works remarkably closely with the European partners when it comes to Nagorno-Karabakh, when it comes to the current challenge faced in the Lachin corridor, and when it comes to tensions and conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan more broadly.

“So we share our information with our European partners. The same is true of them to us. And we believe it’s important that we continue to work closely together with our European partners, through the OSCE as appropriate, directly with the parties if and when it’s effective. We’ve done all of those things and we’ll continue to do what we think is effective to bring about a lasting peace and a diminution of the tensions,” Price stated.