French officials accompany humanitarian convoy to Nagorno-Karabakh

A delegation of 15 elected French officials headed towards the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Wednesday to accompany a humanitarian convoy to the Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan has closed off from Armenia's only axis, according to the Paris Municipality. 

These elected officials are accompanying a convoy of dozens of trucks loaded with food products and electricity generators to enter the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, an Azerbaijani enclave predominantly inhabited by Armenians. 

This convoy reached Kornidzor on Wednesday, an Armenian town located on the border with Azerbaijan. 

It was planned to attempt to cross the Lachin border crossing, which Azerbaijan has closed for months, at noon. 

This road is the only land link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, where the humanitarian situation is deteriorating according to the Armenians and non-governmental organizations. 

On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to launch a "diplomatic initiative" in an effort to lift the blockade on the Lachin corridor. 

For months, Azerbaijan has been closing the corridor for various reasons, obstructing traffic. 

Armenia requested United Nations intervention, but Baku warned that the step would undermine peace efforts. 

Since the late 1980s, the countries have been in conflict over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to two wars, the second of which saw the defeat of Armenian forces in 2020 and territorial gains for Azerbaijan. 

Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region inhabited mostly by Armenians, but it is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. 

AFP