This week, Azerbaijan launched a brief offensive that resulted in a ceasefire brokered by Russia. Under this ceasefire agreement, separatist Armenian fighters have agreed to surrender and disarm.

This truce appears to bring an end to a conflict that has intermittently persisted for three decades.

Despite being internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is landlocked, is predominantly inhabited by 120,000 ethnic Armenians who have established their own de facto government, rejecting Azerbaijani authority.

Azerbaijan has pledged to safeguard the rights of the region’s residents, but both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and international experts have repeatedly voiced concerns about the potential for ethnic cleansing of Armenians in the enclave.

Babayan’s remarks coincide with the arrival of the first aid convoy in Nagorno-Karabakh since the commencement of the ceasefire.

This humanitarian convoy, as announced by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the platform previously known as Twitter, comprised nearly 70 metric tons of essential supplies, including wheat flour, salt, dried yeast, and sunflower oil.

This aid shipment was transported via the Lachin corridor, which is the sole road connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Notably, this corridor had been blocked by Azerbaijan since December 2022, rendering it inaccessible to both civilian and commercial traffic.

Furthermore, the ICRC reported conducting the medical evacuation of 17 individuals who had sustained injuries during the conflict and delivering medical supplies along with body bags as part of the aid efforts.

According to a report from the Russian state news agency on Saturday, Russia, a traditional power broker in the region, has supplied 50 tons of aid, which includes rations and essential provisions, to Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Officials have reported that at least 200 individuals lost their lives, and more than 400 others sustained injuries during Azerbaijan’s military operation.

While leading a US Congressional Delegation in Armenia, US Senator Gary Peters, together with the US ambassador to Armenia, Kristina Kvien, and the governor of Armenia’s Syunik province, Robert Ghukasyan, observed the blockade at the Lachin corridor.