Armenian Government Hides Agreement to Hand Over Lachin Ahead of Schedule: Civilnet

The images below show a section of the road bypassing the city of Lachin in the Berdadzor region of Artsakh. The first photo was taken on July 24 while traveling to Nagorno-Karabakh, and the second was taken on July 30 while returning from there. In the second photo, the road is already seen as paved and ready for use. This was reported by civilnet.am.

On August 1, Azerbaijan violated the contact line in the northwestern part of the Martakert region and southward toward the Lachin corridor. Following three days of clashes, the Armenian side has suffered at least two fatalities and dozens injured.

On August 2, the President of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, announced that Azerbaijan had demanded to organize traffic along a new road through the Lachin corridor. Earlier, on June 30, the President of Artsakh declared that they would have to leave Berdzor, while negotiations over Agavnadzor would continue.

According to the agreement between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, “a project for the construction of a new route along the Lachin corridor should be established within the next three years to ensure the connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, after which the Russian peacekeeping forces will be redeployed to protect that route.” This means that the discussion was not about constructing a new road within the three-year timeframe but merely about determining a new route.

At the cabinet meeting on August 4, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan criticized the Russian peacekeeping forces in Artsakh, stating that “the cases of physically and psychologically terrorizing the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh in the presence of peacekeepers are simply unacceptable.” He also mentioned that currently, there is no established plan for road construction in the trilateral format by Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and that Armenia has repeatedly suggested and continues to offer to do so. Pashinyan noted that the Armenian side has not agreed to any plan for a new road but has begun reconstructing the road from Tegh village to Kornidzor (near the Azerbaijani border), which, he said, is supposed to connect to the new route of the Lachin corridor.

Questions have arisen. I have already addressed several questions to the Armenian government in my previous column (Was there an agreement to hand over Berdzor earlier? Questions for the Armenian government). I will repeat some of those questions: If there was no agreement to hand over the city of Lachin before the three-year term stipulated in the November 9 declaration, why has Azerbaijan built a circumferential road of about 30 kilometers in its territory that should be transferred for Armenian use?

Why and based on what agreement has Azerbaijan constructed the road not only in the sections under its control but also in Armenian territory—near the villages of Hin Shen and Mets Shen in the Shushi region?

Why did Azerbaijan demand Lachin immediately after the construction of the road, and why did the Armenian side agree to Azerbaijan's demand to hand over the city of Lachin and the villages of Agavnadzor and Sus on the Lachin corridor by August 25?

If there was no agreement to hand over the city of Berdzor earlier (refer to July 2022), why is the Armenian government yielding to Azerbaijan’s demand and stating that it will construct an 8-kilometer road in the Kornidzor area by spring 2023?

Is it true that Armenia plans to build a 3-kilometer road before the construction of the Tegh-Kornidzor segment, which will connect to Azerbaijan's constructed 30-kilometer road that bypasses the city of Berdzor? Is it possible that this road will eventually be handed over to Azerbaijan?

The Armenian government’s statements contradict its actions and the logic of the situation. It can be asserted that Pashinyan's government has reached a certain agreement with Azerbaijan to hand over the city of Lachin ahead of schedule or at least to agree on the new route to Artsakh.

Political scientist Benjamin Poghosyan referred to Pashinyan's criticism towards the Russian side in an article published on CivilNet, finding it puzzling that Armenian authorities are attempting to blame the Russians for new concessions to Azerbaijan.

Conclusions: Analyzing the events leads to the following conclusions: The Armenian authorities have failed to remain within the framework of the November 9 agreement, conceding to Azerbaijan’s demands in negotiations and agreeing to both the new route bypassing Lachin and the handover of the city of Lachin, Agavnadzor, and Sus after its construction. It is particularly important to note that Pashinyan’s government has not succeeded in achieving that the road connecting Armenia and Artsakh be constructed simultaneously with the transfer of the underlying infrastructure—electricity lines, gas pipelines, and internet connections. Now traffic will be organized along the new route, while the infrastructures will remain under Azerbaijan's control.

By agreeing to the new road route and to handing over Lachin, Agavnadzor, and Sus after its construction, Armenia has done nothing during this time to advance the road segment that would connect to the already built Azerbaijani road. Now it is making hasty and spontaneous actions that further deepen the uncertainty for the people living in Artsakh.

The most critical issue is that Pashinyan's government, by failing to take practical steps towards fulfilling its disastrous commitments (whether verbal or written is irrelevant), has set the stage for a new escalation along the border, resulting in at least TWO FATALITIES and DOZENS OF INJURIES.

It is easy to blame Azerbaijan, whose international significance has markedly increased for both the Russians and the West following the war in Ukraine. It is also possible to blame Russia, which, according to Armenia's claims, is not adequately fulfilling its security mandate for the Armenians of Artsakh. However, the fact remains that the Armenian government has evaded a sober assessment of the situation, which has led to the current state of affairs.