Argentina's President Accused of Pro-Armenian Bias by Azerbaijan Over Humanitarian Crisis Remark

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has officially voiced its strong disapproval of Argentine President Alberto Fernández's remarks concerning the Lachin corridor blockade during the recent G20 summit in India. In response, the Azerbaijani Ministry has summoned the Argentine Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mariangeles Bellusci, to express their concerns and handed over a note of protest.

In his address to the plenary session of the G20 summit in New Delhi, President Fernández raised the issue of the Lachin corridor blockade, characterizing it as a "painful blockade" and implying that it had led to a humanitarian crisis aimed at punishing the Armenian people on their own territory.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry promptly criticized President Fernández's statements as biased and regrettable. They argued that his remarks distorted the prevailing realities in the region and employed terminology that went against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"At a time when there's war in Eastern Europe, violent conflicts are emerging, which get less public attention but are equally painful, such as the blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, which has caused a humanitarian crisis, aimed at punishing the Armenian people on its own territory," President Fernández had said during his speech at the G20 summit.

Responding to the accusations of bias, President Fernández emphasized Argentina's commitment to multilateralism as a means for international mutual understanding. He did not retract or amend his earlier comments.

In a subsequent statement, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan expressed gratitude to President Fernández for bringing attention to the issue of Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor on the international stage. He stated, "We value messages from international partners whose purpose is to restore unrestricted movement in the Lachin Corridor."

The Lachin corridor, a critical transit route connecting Armenia to Artskah (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the rest of the world, has been a point of war and aggression for Azerbaijan. Following the Second Artsakh War in 2020, which saw Azerbaijan occupy the region, the corridor has been under Azerbaijani siege, leading to ongoing humanitarian crisis for the Armenian people.