Azerbaijan Wanted to Take Red Market, Now Using Village Road Indefinitely

Azerbaijani vehicles are currently operating on a stretch of road in Artsakh, approximately 45-50 km long, under Russian peacekeepers' escort. Although traffic began shortly after the agreement signed on November 9, the authorities of Artsakh officially announced this information months later. Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan also mentioned yesterday that during negotiations, Azerbaijan had expressed interest in taking over the Red Market, but was unsuccessful.

We inquired with the spokesperson for the Artsakh President, Lusine Avanesyan, about which other villages Azerbaijan has shown ambitions to seize, but the spokesperson avoided giving a clear answer. “We have repeatedly had opportunities to discuss the issue of restoring the territorial integrity of Artsakh, not to concede or transfer anything,” said Avanesyan.

Recently, information circulated on Telegram channels that Azerbaijanis were demanding a jointly used road in the area of Artsakh's Red Market, promising the return of 30 prisoners of war in exchange. The spokesperson for the President of Artsakh had denied the existence of such an agenda, while it has now become clear that Azerbaijan actually wanted to take over the entire village.

The head of the Red Market community, Narek Atayan, informed “Factinfo” that the enemy currently passes through the Red Market-Shosh-Shushi road three times a week. When asked how long the traffic would continue on this road, about which negotiations had taken place, the spokesperson found it difficult to specify a timeline, but insisted that the Azerbaijanis are using this section of the road temporarily.

“It is temporary because, as far as I know, they are building another road towards Shushi,” said Avanesyan, without commenting on who held the negotiations about using the road. The spokesperson also did not answer the question of whether the enemy will continue to pass through the Red Market until the construction of the Azerbaijani road in Shushi is completed.