European Council hails opening of Aghdam-Asgaran route

The opening of the Agdam-Asgaran route is an important step that should facilitate the reopening of the Lachin corridor.

“In line with elements and proposals outlined publicly in our statement on September 1, 2023, President Michel continued to be closely engaged in advancing those and other approaches, with a primary focus on de-escalation of tensions and the humanitarian situation facing the Karabakh Armenians,” Caliber.Az reports, citing the European Council website.

According to the website, President Michel has particularly been engaged in intense contacts over the past few days, both with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during telephone conversations on September 9, 2023, but also with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the margins of the G20 New Delhi summit on September 10, 2023.

“These efforts, supported by daily interaction of his office and EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar with Baku, Yerevan and representatives of Karabakh Armenians, have been aimed at de-escalation of tensions and working out a solution for unblocking humanitarian access to Karabakh Armenians.

In this context, we note the passage today of a Russian humanitarian delivery via the Agdam-Asgaran route. We understand all the sensitivities associated with this development; it is our expectation that it will create momentum for the resumption of regular humanitarian deliveries to the local population,” the report said.

“The situation on the ground is deteriorating quickly. It is vital to ensure essential products are supplied to Karabakh Armenians. The opening of the Agdam-Asgaran route today is an important step that should facilitate the reopening of the Lachin corridor as well. We call on all stakeholders to show responsibility and flexibility in ensuring that both the Lachin and the Agdam-Asgaran routes will be used.”

As the message reads, this difficult situation on the ground has lasted for too long; it is now important to find sustainable and mutually acceptable solutions to ensure humanitarian access, also ahead of the autumn and winter seasons.

“We reiterate our strong belief that the Lachin corridor must be unblocked, in line with past agreements and the ICJ Order, and underline our belief in the usefulness also of other supply routes, for the benefit of the local population,” the website reads.

The EU expects that today’s developments will be followed by more concrete steps in the coming days and weeks, also regarding the dialogue between Baku and Karabakh Armenians on their rights and security, reconciliation efforts and the overall Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

To recall, on September 12, a cargo truck loaded with food and non-food products sent by the Russian Red Cross Society to meet the food needs of the Armenian residents living in the Garabagh economic region of Azerbaijan, passed the post of Russian peacekeepers in the direction of Asgaran-Khankendi and arrived in Khankendi.

This cargo truck sent at the initiative of the Russian Government and under a joint cooperation memorandum between the Russian Red Cross Society and Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, had been stuck in Azerbaijan's Barda district for two days to pass to Khankendi.