What is the Significance of the US Ambassador's Visit to the Lachin Corridor? An Expert Explains

The United States is actively involved in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The new ambassador of this country has outlined her priorities for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the improvement of Armenian-Turkish relations. Political scientist Suren Sarkisyan stated this during a meeting with reporters on March 10.

He explained that the ambassador's visit yesterday was related to the desire to familiarize herself with the situation on the ground. “This is an important signal to Azerbaijan and the international community that this issue is of significant importance to the US, and the ambassador reiterated US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's call for the immediate opening of the Lachin corridor. In this way, she demonstrated that the United States supports this process. This is a very clear signal,” Sarkisyan said.

The expert did not rule out that ambassadors from other co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as ambassadors from EU countries, could visit the region. “Another thing is that Russia has a negative attitude towards the involvement of the West in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It is hard to imagine that if the Russians leave Artsakh, Azerbaijan would agree to the deployment of other forces, including Western ones. The Armenians of Artsakh would also leave after the Russians, which would be risky for the authorities of Armenia, who emphasize that the Russians should stay and ensure the security of the Armenians in Artsakh,” he emphasized.

It is noteworthy that the newly appointed US Ambassador Christina Quinn visited the area with Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasian on March 9, where the Lachin corridor begins.