VIDEO: The Russian Side Does Not Want to Use Force - Vahagn Khachaturyan on the Blockade of Artsakh

The Russian side does not want to use force; they prefer to resolve the issue through negotiations. This was stated today, January 16, by Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan after a meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis, in response to a question about the role of peacekeepers in the situation created in the Lachin corridor.

“The peacekeepers began their work as part of the agreements of November 9, 2020, and were supposed to ensure direct communication between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. This concerns a road stretching 90 km. There are two responsible parties there: peacekeepers, who are supposed to ensure safety, and Azerbaijan, which should not create obstacles. Now Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its obligations and has created an artificial barrier; as of December 12 until today, this road has been closed. To understand the problems this creates, let me say that 300-400 vehicles used to pass through this road daily, carrying everything necessary for the livelihoods of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh—food, building materials, etc. In the past 40 days, only 400 vehicles have passed, and they were mainly for humanitarian purposes. Essential food supplies are being given by coupons, there is nothing for sale in stores, the state is providing from its reserves, many schools and kindergartens are closed, power outages have begun, and so on,” stated the President of Armenia.

According to Khachaturyan, prior to this incident, Russian peacekeepers had clearly fulfilled their obligations: “In these two years, there was one or two incidents that were resolved very quickly; last year, the Azerbaijanis disconnected gas, and through their mediation, it was restored quickly. One can say that until December 12, the corridor was functioning reliably. Now I understand that the Russian side does not want to use force; they are trying to resolve the issue through negotiations. However, we now have demands on them. Of course, we have them towards Azerbaijan as well, but Azerbaijan, as always, disregards or does not respond in any way. Nevertheless, we hope that the Russian side will respond and apply some measures to ensure the safety of this corridor.”

Vahagn Khachaturyan also mentioned that he does not have details on the negotiations between the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Russian peacekeepers.