Vorotan, Shurnukh, Bardzravan: What Issues May Arise for These Villages After Losing Their Highway

Azerbaijan has established border and customs checkpoints on the Goris-Kapan road. In a conversation with "Factinfo," Goris Deputy Mayor Menua Hovsepyan stated that this information was not new to them, and they have been raising concerns about the consequences and issues since the first day of the war's end. After Azerbaijani servicemen were deployed at various points along the main highway, it became clear that serious problems would arise for the residents of the three villages in the Goris community regarding both mobility and security.

“The issue of the checkpoints was already known, this has been clear for a long time. We have been voicing concerns for a year. The fears are mainly related to the three villages of the community: Vorotan, Shurnukh, and Bardzravan. Losing this highway could lead to quite serious challenges for these villages. The concerns are mainly associated with that,” he said.

Despite the completion of asphalt paving on the Tatev-Aghvani section of the Goris-Kapan road, and the fact that the alternative route is fully paved, it has also been announced that a road is being constructed from Tatev to Ltsen in Syunik Province, as well as roads leading to Shurnukh, Vorotan, and Bardzravan.

The Deputy Mayor of Goris noted that this is a long road, and there is a critical absence of a crucial fact—the existence of the highway. “The alternative road is ready for Kapan. However, regarding the three villages, the specific road to Vorotan is still in progress. The road from Tatev community to Vorotan is being constructed, but it is quite long from Goris. It is in a cut-off state, and most importantly, there is the absence of the highway, which I believe is the number one guarantee for these villages,” he stated.

Hovsepyan did not specifically mention the issues facing the villages, indicating that he could not provide specifics at this time, mentioning that there is a need to understand what is happening, as processes are still ongoing.

When asked how he envisions the free and safe movement of people and goods in the context of Azerbaijani border and customs control on the Goris-Kapan road, the Deputy Mayor said he could not picture that. When questioned about whether he believes these functions imply restrictions on the rights of residents by Azerbaijani law enforcement bodies, Hovsepyan mentioned that he is also unaware of what is happening but promised to personally see what functions and actions are being implemented, expressing hope that the situation will be clarified in the coming days.

It is worth recalling that the Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, announced a few hours before midnight that the Azerbaijani side had informed the Armenian side that starting from 12:00, they would implement border and customs control functions in that segment of the Goris-Kapan road, meaning that checkpoints would be established.