President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Russia’s special representative for the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations Igor Khovaev on Tuesday, September 5 discussed the opening of the roads connecting Aghdam to Stepanavan, Nagorno-Karabakh’s capital, and Armenia to Stepanakert.

According to a statement from Azerbaijan’s presidential office, Aliyev claimed that the Armenian population of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan “have rejected an invitation” to Baku to hold discussions on “reintegration issues”. Khovaev said that Russia will continue its efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and ensure sustainable peace in the region.

Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population. On August 15, Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s office reported the first case of death from starvation.