Azerbaijan Responds to Pashinyan's Statements

“We strongly condemn the absurd accusations repeatedly voiced by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on May 4, regarding Azerbaijan’s establishment of a checkpoint along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, as well as the claim that Azerbaijan is escalating the situation at the border with Armenia, creating a humanitarian crisis in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.” This is stated in the information disseminated by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is noted that any commentary by Azerbaijan on the establishment of the Lachin border checkpoint in its sovereign territory is unacceptable, which, according to Baku, “has already begun allowing ethnic Armenian citizens to cross in both directions.”

“The Armenian side must stop interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs and put an end to the aggressive policy against Azerbaijan that has been carried out for many years. Regarding the Prime Minister’s absurd statements about ‘ethnic cleansing,’ it should be noted that accusing Azerbaijan of such actions suggests that Armenia has not learned lessons from history. The Armenian side’s statements with such allegations, at a time when negotiations on a peace treaty are underway, do not contribute to peace,” the statement reads.

It is important to recall that Azerbaijanis blocked the Hakari Bridge connecting Armenia to Artsakh on April 23, which is located in the Lachin corridor under the control of Russian peacekeepers, and then established a checkpoint that is not provided for in the trilateral agreements between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Since December of last year, eco-activists claiming to be Azerbaijanis had blocked the Shushi-Karinak section, which is now replaced by security forces.