Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today in an interview with Agence France-Presse that the possibility of a new war between his country and Azerbaijan is “very likely”as the two states claim control over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

“Until a peace treaty is signed and ratified by the parliaments of both countries, of course, a (new) war (with Azerbaijan) is very likelyPashinyan warned.

At the same time he complained a “genocide” being carried out by Azerbaijan in the disputed enclave; which has been under blockade by the Azeri forces for months.

“This is not a genocide in preparation, but a genocide in progressPashinyan emphasized, accusing the Azerbaijani army of creating a “ghetto” in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Tension in the region escalated in early July when Azerbaijan, using various pretexts, closed the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting the enclave to Armenia.

This blockade has created a severe humanitarian crisis within the enclave, whose majority residents are Armenian, with shortages of food, medicine and frequent power outages.

As the last round of peace talks, on 15 July in Brussels, did not lead to any notable progress, the Armenian prime minister said the West and Russia should put more pressure on Baku to lift the blockade.

According to Pashinyan, negotiations between the two rival countries are hindered by “Azerbaijan’s aggressive and hateful rhetoric against Armenians,” accusing Baku of implementing a “policy of ethnic cleansing.”

The two former Soviet republics of the Caucasus have been engaged in two wars over control of the mountainous enclave, the second of which, in 2020, resulted in the defeat of Armenian forces and significant territorial gains for Azerbaijan.