Pope Francis on Sunday (December 18) made an appeal during his Sunday speech to end the escalation of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. His appeal came on the heels of the blockade of a key road linking Armenia to the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
A group of Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmental activists blocked the Lachin corridor, the only land route for people, goods, food and medical supplies to reach Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia through Azerbaijani territory earlier this week.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have a dispute with each other over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The two countries have waged repeated wars over the region. The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. As recently as September, more than 200 soldiers were killed in an outbreak of fighting.
After his weekly Angelus prayer, the 86-year-old pontiff asked faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for peace in Ukraine and in Peru, where the fall of ousted and jailed leader Pedro Castillo sparked deadly protests across the country. the country.
(With agency contributions)
Now you can write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
