In continuation of the humanitarian convoy, a group of French politicians arrived in Armenia on August 29-31 to deliver urgent aid to the people of Artsakh. The French territorial authorities made a statement, which we present below:
“We, the leaders of French cities and regions, responding to the call of the Coordinating Council of French-Armenian Organizations (CCAF) and the authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, have collected urgent humanitarian aid in support of the Armenians of Artsakh.
On December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan, violating international law, unilaterally blocked the Lachin Corridor, which connects Artsakh to Armenia and, therefore, to the whole world. This situation creates a major humanitarian crisis by isolating 120,000 civilians, including 30,000 children, and depriving them of access to vital necessities, health infrastructure, energy resources, and water. For more than 9 months, the Armenians of Artsakh have been living in unprecedented food shortage and despair, under the daily threat of fire from the Azerbaijani forces stationed on the border. Thousands of innocent people are suffocating, and humanitarian organizations are prevented from intervening despite widespread hunger and a worsening health crisis.
Responding to the call of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, we decided, in coordination with the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGUM), to send a humanitarian convoy to Armenia consisting of non-perishable goods of the first necessity, namely, baby milk, electric generators, solar panels, water heaters, etc. This convoy of 10 trucks meets the needs expressed by the authorities of the Artsakh Republic for the survival of the civilian population, to withstand the particularly harsh winter conditions in the region, and to prevent the growing threat of child malnutrition.
Since this summer, the time has come to act amid the alarm raised by the international community, first of all by the UN Security Council, which convened an emergency session on the humanitarian situation on August 16. According to the report of the former first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, the actions carried out by Azerbaijan partly characterize genocide: starvation, deprivation of vital resources, and obstruction of urgent humanitarian interventions. The report asserts that the genocidal threat of ethnic cleansing is imminent. We cannot remain indifferent to such a situation, which reminds us of the worst period in the history of Armenia. Many parties are raising the alarm and calling Azerbaijan to lift this blockade without delay.
The time for diplomatic statements is over. That is why around twenty elected officials representing the entire French territory and different political families wanted to accompany this humanitarian convoy to the border to demand the opening of the Lachine Corridor. Noting the refusal of the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the convoy to reach the virtually trapped Armenian people of Artsakh, we call on the French President to take the initiative to submit a resolution to the Security Council as soon as possible, demanding immediate and unconditional opening of the Lachine Corridor, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the free movement of goods and people. To allow movement.
Apart from this worrying humanitarian situation, the peace process established by the agreements adopted at the end of 2020 should be respected, as should the recognition of the right to self-determination of the Armenians of Artsakh, which is a necessary condition for its survival in this situation, when Azerbaijan is trying to hide its genocidal ambitions. Among the declaration’s signatories are the cities of Paris, Strasbourg, Marseille, Lyon, Ile-de-France, Ode-de-France, the Loire Valley, Occitania, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.
