YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS. The Republic of Artsakh is under total blockade for more than a day, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Davit Babayan said at a press conference in Yerevan. Babayan himself is unable to return to Artsakh. He was on a visit to France and was on his way back to Artsakh via Armenia before the Lachin Corridor was blocked by Azerbaijan.

“For more than a day, for 29 hours, Artsakh is entirely blockaded. The total blockade has begun, this is a fact. As for the question whether or not this could be the prelude for more large-scale actions, in a way this depends also from the respective reaction by the international community,” Babayan said.

He warned that the absence of a proper reaction by the international community or indifference can be the reason of new bad developments.

“Impunity promotes aggression. Naturally, when they see impunity, while some members of the international community, for example Turkey, on the contrary is encouraging such actions, naturally Azerbaijan is becoming bolder and is resorting to such horrifying steps in the 21st century, in fact, threatening to starve to death an entire nation. I think that a stronger reaction across the world would have an impact,” he said.

Babayan noted that all high-level officials and government institutions in Artsakh have relayed important messages to the international community regarding the peacekeeping mission and their activities. “First of all it is necessary to increase the number of peacekeepers, the 1980 persons standing along the entire length of the line of contact is a very low number. Only one, two or three peacekeeping soldiers were standing against this Azerbaijani theatrical invasion. Second, we have proposed that the Russian peacekeepers receive an international mandate because this is desirable by the UN Security Council itself. This would give international legitimacy and opportunity to prevent such provocations. Because these forces are peacekeepers, they don’t impose peace like in the case of Kosovo or elsewhere. By receiving an international mandate a new quality would be conveyed to the mission and perhaps the situation would be more stable,” Babayan said, emphasizing that once again Azerbaijan has grossly violated the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement.