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The Artsakh Foreign Ministry has rejected Azerbaijan’s false reports that its army is amassing military equipment at the contact line, warning that Balu is paving the way for further provocations by spreading fake news. Below is the full text of a statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh strongly refutes and  condemns the fake news spread by the Azerbaijani mass media that the Defense Army of Artsakh is moving and concentrating various military equipment at different parts of the Line of Contact.

As we have repeatedly made sure, Azerbaijan is paving the way for further provocations by filling the media field with such fake news.

We draw the attention of international actors, and especially the UN Security Council, to the fact that Azerbaijan is escalating the situation just two days after the request of the Republic of Armenia to convene an emergency session of the UN Security Council related to the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by the complete blockade imposed on the civilian population of Artsakh by Azerbaijani authorities. It is nothing but an attempt to distract the attention of international structures from the humanitarian disaster provoked in the Republic of Artsakh by Azerbaijan's illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor.

We reiterate that since December 12, 2022, the Republic of Artsakh has been under total siege, resulted from Azerbaijan’s illegal actions. Moreover, since June 15, 2023, the people of Artsakh has been deprived of the opportunity to import even the least amount of food products, medicines and all other vital goods through the Lachin Corridor via the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent.

Thus, due to the lack of efficient steps by the international community, Azerbaijan continues to violate the provisions of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, universal international legal norms, and specific international legal acts related to the Lachin Corridor, including the legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights on lifting the blockade of the Lachin Corridor.

We urge all international actors, and in particular, the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, to immediately take appropriate steps to deter the possible provocative actions of Azerbaijan.

In the current situation, we consider it imperative to convene an emergency session of the UN Security Council as soon as possible for passing a decision on taking the necessary and efficient measures aimed at the complete and unconditional unblocking of the Lachin Corridor."