Lachin Corridor May Open, But We Have No Basis to Trust Azerbaijan's Word – Beglaryan

Yes, the gas supply to Artsakh has been restored, but it could be turned off at any moment because Azerbaijan controls a significant portion of the gas pipeline and has a valve that could be closed or turned off at any time. This was stated today, December 16, in a conversation with reporters by Artak Beglaryan, the advisor to the Prime Minister of Artsakh and former Human Rights Defender, who has been staging a sit-in in front of the UN office since December 14.

“The road remains completely closed, there is no change, there is a certain positive trend purely from the course of negotiations. That is, there is hope that the corridor may open, but we cannot say what will happen; we have no basis to trust the Azerbaijani side. The gas supply has been restored without any concessions, simply as a result of international pressure. The blockade of Artsakh and the cessation of gas supply have generated significant international resonance. The Russian side is also working in this direction, as are various international organizations, including the UN. The statement made by the UN Secretary-General was a means of pressure. The USA, France, and the EU have also made statements, and I am also aware that there is internal pressure. There is also a decision from the European Court of Human Rights, which has given Azerbaijan until Monday to provide information on what it has done to eliminate these violations of human rights. This is one of the forms of pressure,” said Artak Beglaryan.

According to him, it is also necessary to secure long-term guarantees for the safety of the Artsakh Armenians to prevent similar incidents: “It should be clear that Azerbaijan will pay a high price for such terrorist, genocidal acts in the future, and that price should be in the form of punishment. It is important that the UN Security Council assumes clear commitments by granting a mandate regarding what guarantees are in place for security. These could be Russian peacekeepers or multinational peacekeepers. The important factor is the mandate provided by the UN Security Council, and it is also important that specialized UN agencies have a permanent presence in Artsakh. These could include UNESCO, rapid response teams, and representatives from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The EU, France, and the USA can also play roles. It is crucial for us that there is a consensus on the security and rights guarantees for the people of Artsakh. Additionally, there should be an internationally guaranteed long-term process for the resolution of the conflict and recognition of Artsakh,” Beglaryan noted.

When asked what response they had received from the embassies of the UN Security Council member countries to their applications and letters, Artak Beglaryan replied that there had been no response: “We weren’t very optimistic that there would be responses from them.”