Zakharova on the Situation in the Lachin Corridor

Any public attacks and provocations against the Russian peacekeepers are unacceptable and are considered as premeditated actions that significantly harm the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process. This statement was made by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the situation in the Lachin corridor.

The Russian foreign ministry expresses concern that there is no progress in restoring the full functioning of the corridor. According to Zakharova, the Russian side, particularly the leadership of the peacekeeping forces, continues to take consistent steps towards resolving this situation.

“We emphasize that it is precisely the Russian peacekeepers who play a key role in ensuring security in their deployment area, as noted by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia during the summit held in Sochi on October 31,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.

The Russian foreign ministry calls on Baku and Yerevan to strictly adhere to all provisions of the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020. “The Lachin corridor should be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in this document. We hope that the parties will reach an agreement regarding the exploitation of mines in the region,” Zakharova stated.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Russia supports the full implementation of high-level tripartite agreements aimed at unblocking transport and economic ties in the region, delimitation, preparation of a peace treaty, and the establishment of contacts between public figures, experts, and parliamentarians of the two countries.

It should be noted that on the morning of December 12, a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothing closed the Stepanakert-Goris highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia under the pretext of environmental concerns, at the intersection near Shushi-Karin Tak. Since December 13, the Azerbaijani side has also cut off the gas supply to Artsakh. On the morning of December 16, the State Minister of Artsakh, Ruben Vardanyan, announced that the gas supply to Artsakh had been restored, and it was done without any preconditions. However, the Lachin corridor remains closed.