Lachin Corridor Is Under the Control of Russian Peacekeepers and Is a Responsibility Zone, Says Simonian

After the last meeting of the CSTO held in Yerevan, the proposed document was not signed by Yerevan, and considering that discussions are ongoing regarding this document, the reactions are mainly about the formulations of that document. This was stated today, on December 7, by the President of the National Assembly, Alen Simonian, during a conversation with reporters.

“I noted that there is a problem, and Stanislav Zas, who still holds the position of CSTO Secretary General, echoed my sentiment. All these observations will be taken into account in the amendments of the document that will later be presented for discussion,” said Simonian, adding that the document will likely be on the table before the next CSTO meeting.

Referring to the fact that Azerbaijan closed the road connecting Artsakh to Armenia on Sunday and later announced that mini checkpoints and bases could be established there, Simonian stated: “Armenia is negative about establishing bases in the Lachin corridor. Let’s not forget that the Lachin corridor is under the control of the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation and is a responsibility zone. Work is being done with the Russian side on this matter because, I repeat, it is a responsibility zone for Russian peacekeepers.”

When asked whether this means that Artsakh is completely left to the Russian peacekeepers, the President of the National Assembly responded, “The answer to all your questions is in the statement of November 9. As for leaving Artsakh, I believe that all the steps taken so far, I should not reiterate them to demonstrate once again that Armenia has not left and will not leave Artsakh under any circumstances.”

It should be noted that the Armenian side refused to sign the declaration of the military alliance's council during the CSTO summit held in Yerevan in November, as well as the decision regarding the response to Azerbaijan's invasion on September 13. Yerevan clarified that the refusal was due to the lack of a political assessment, and the documents were sent for revision.