Karabakh: Russia breaks silence on situation along Lachin corridor

Karabakh: Russia breaks silence on situation along Lachin corridor

PanARMENIAN.Net - The situation around the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh should be tackled based on Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement from November 9, 2020, lawmaker Taguhi Tovmasyan cited the Russian Embassy in Yerevan as saying on Monday, August 22.

The Lachin corridor currently used as connection between Armenia and Karabakh was supposed to serve its purpose at least until the fall of 2023, but Azerbaijan has built a new road and is now demanding that the corridor be moved now. Karabakh authorities have already informed the few remaining Armenian residents of the town of Berdzor and the villages of Aghavno and Sus – all three in the Lachin corridor – that no Russian peacekeepers will be left in the territory after August 25 and, therefore, they needed to leave their homes before the end of the month. However, a top Russian diplomat has said that the peacekeepers were not going to move an inch.

Tovmasyan said Monday she wrote a letter to Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopirkin to draw his attention to the fact that Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh (Karabakh) on August 1, using mortars, grenade launchers and attack UAVs and trying to cross the contact line.

The lawmaker said she then received a response from the Russian Embassy, according to which the situation in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is an important issue for Moscow.

“We would like to draw your attention to the Statement by the MFA of Russia on August 4 with regard to the escalation of the situation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. The Ministry called the two sides to show restraint, hold the ceasefire regime and confirmed the necessity for the regulation in accordance with the Statements by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 10, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021. (...) Russian peacekeepers make all possible efforts to stabilize the situation on the ground. The important role of Russian peacekeeping contingent was stressed in Baku and Yerevan many times. They are sure that they totally deserve the trust. We are ready to further show any necessary support to the normalization of the ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Tovmasyan cited the Russian side's letter as saying.

The Embassay said in another letter that the situation around the Lachin corridor should be tackled based on Paragraph 6 of the Trilateral Statement.

According to Paragraph 6, "the Parties have agreed that a plan for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor shall be determined within the next three years, providing communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to protect this route."

Tovmasyan also noted that the the Russian side is said to be maintaining constant communication with the sides to settle the matter.

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