YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has blocked the Lachin Corridor under false pretexts of environmental issues in order to commit ethnic cleansing in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan said in parliament when asked by opposition MP Agnessa Khamoyan what Azerbaijan’s demands are for opening the road.

“Armenia continues to work with all its partners in order for the Lachin Corridor to be opened as soon as possible, so that the Armenians living in Artsakh avoid a humanitarian crisis and that the crisis gets swiftly resolved,” Grigoryan said.

In response, MP Khamoyan said that Armenia continues to be the guarantor of security of Artsakh and cited the government’s program stipulating it. She accused the government in abandoning being the obligation of being the guarantor of security of Artsakh and asked Grigoryan to comment on what the government of Armenia has done or is doing, or is proposing to do in order to open the Lachin Corridor and how is the fact of Armenia becoming the guarantor of security for Artsakh being displayed.

“That’s just your assessment that the government abandoned. If Armenia has assumed that obligation by the government program, then Armenia continues implementing that obligation. There are a variety of such obligations which Armenia is implementing. Take into consideration that under the 9 November statement Russia is the one ensuring security in the Lachin Corridor, and I am urging the opposition to work in that direction as well, in order for Russia to implement its obligations and ensure uninterrupted and safe traffic in Lachin Corridor. We are also working with Russia in order for the Lachin Corridor to be opened as soon as possible. This provocation organized by Azerbaijan, which as I mentioned has the goal of ethnic cleansing, must keep us all vigilant. In this regard I can say that the government is utilizing all available instruments to resolve the crisis,” Grigoryan said.