Humanitarian crisis continues in South Caucasus

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

During Pope Francis' annual address to the Diplomatic Corps to the Holy See, the Holy Father once again lamented the tense situation in the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and in particular, the dramatic situation of refugees, and appealed for the signing of a peace agreement to ease the ongoing suffering.

The Pope appealed for negotiations that respect international law and religious diversity.

While peace agreements are under consideration between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the border crisis in the South Caucasus is obstructing advancement.

In the past 30 years, the South Caucasus neighbours have fought two wars over Nagorno-Karabakh, but staged a prisoner exchange last month and issued a joint statement saying they want to normalize relations and reach a peace deal.

As of late December, Azerbaijan voiced through a senior official that it personally does not see major obstacles to securing a lasting peace treaty with Armenia, noting its view that the question of defining their borders "can be resolved separately."

In September, Azerbaijan's forces mounted a lightning offensive to retake control of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, whose ethnic Armenian population had broken away in a war in the 1990s. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said his "iron fist" had restored his country's sovereignty.

Nevertheless, the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyanin, in October insisted on pursuing paths for peace.

"We must move steadily towards peace", he said. "To do this, political will is necessary and I have that political will. On the other hand, the international community and the European Union, and the countries of our region should support us, do everything to make this opportunity real for us."

Freedom and safety required along Lachin Corridor

The European Union has insisted that Azerbaijan ensure freedom and security of movement along the Lachin Corridor, in line with the 9 November 2022 trilateral declaration signed by Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

EU officials have warned that blocking the Corridor causes significant hardship to the local population and could lead to a serious humanitarian emergency.

Azerbaijan has denied blocking the sole road that links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

In late 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 6-week war over the region, which claimed over 6,500 lives.