The foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, Hikmet Hajiyev, informed Reuters that Azerbaijan is willing to permit Red Cross aid from Armenia to enter the ethnic Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, on the condition that Red Crescent aid from Azerbaijan is also allowed in simultaneously.
Accusing Azerbaijan of blockading the “Lachin corridor,” which is the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, Armenia has repeatedly claimed that this has resulted in shortages of food, medicines, and other essential supplies.
To counter weapons smuggling, Baku has supposedly restricted movement and has permitted the Red Cross to evacuate individuals for medical treatment in Armenia. However, it has not permitted the entry of food and other supplies.
During an interview on Thursday, Hajiyev indicated that Azerbaijan is now prepared to grant permission for the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid, provided that the Red Crescent is also authorized to bring in aid through a different road from Azerbaijan.
Hajiyev proposes opening both the Lachin corridor and the Aghdam road synchronously as part of a pilot program aimed at alleviating tensions and promoting peace talks between Baku and Yerevan, which have been ongoing for a long time.
Reported by Andrew Osborn; Edited by Kevin Liffey
Credit: The Star : News Feed
