An Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has commented on the remarks of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, who said that Yerevan’s “accusations” against Russian peacekeepers in connection with the incident on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan are “groundless”.

Armenia's “strong dissatisfaction” with the incident involving Russian peacekeepers near the Hakari Bridge at the beginning of the Lachin corridor – the last remaining route linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh – was earlier conveyed to Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin on June 16. The ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after an attempt by the Azerbaijani forces, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, to raise an Azerbaijani flag over Armenian territory, which left one Armenian border guard injured.

“The incident of June 15 did not take place in the Lachin corridor, as the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry states, but in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, on the Armenian side of the Hakari bridge,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday, June 22.

“There is an obvious contradiction in the comment of the Russian side. If, due to the absence of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is not possible to clearly say where exactly the border line passes, and this is the reason for the ongoing problems, as the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry claims, then the following question arises: on what basis and principle was on June 15 an Azerbaijani flag being placed on this side of the bridge, on that concrete part of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan? It should be stated that literally the same thesis is repeated by the Azerbaijani side when carrying out aggressive actions against the borders of the Republic of Armenia and during the incursions into Armenia’s sovereign territory.

The spokesperson said it was unclear why the Russian peacekeepers took part in that operation, when both the purpose and even the place of the operation were clearly outside of the functions and area of responsibility of the peacekeepers.

“We would like to remind: the only established function of the Russian peacekeepers was to control the 5 km wide Lachin corridor,” said the spokesperson.

“Apart from this, after the incident of June 15, the Azerbaijani side completely blocked the Lachin corridor, as a result of which even humanitarian supplies, including food and medicaments, are not transported to Nagorno-Karabakh, including even by the ICRC; critically ill patients who need appropriate medical care are not transferred from Nagorno-Karabakh to medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia, gas and electricity supplies remain disrupted.

“In conclusion, we would like to call on the parties which signed the Trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 as well as other trilateral statements of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan to unequivocally fulfill their commitments instead of looking for justifications.”