YEREVAN, January 30. /ARKA/. In a bid to ease the financial crisis in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) caused by Azerbaijan's blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, the Artsakh Investment Fund and the Artsakh Rural and Agricultural Support Fund decided to temporarily stop accruing  interest and penalties on obligations to the funds until February 1, 2023.

The decision does not cover the loans with liabilities over 100 million drams, as well as the loans provided after December 12, 2022.

Routine shipments of basic supplies, medicines, and food on which Nagorno-Karabakh is utterly dependent have remained completely shut off since last December 12 when Azerbaijan blocked the only road linking Karabakh and Armenia.

A handful of International Red Cross humanitarian convoys have been allowed to take medicines and some food from Armenia. The situation has become untenable for the 120,000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev said earlier the road out was open to any Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian who wished to leave.-0-