Moscow Calls on Baku Not to Make Artsakh Residents Hostages to Disagreements with Yerevan

Moscow has called on Baku to refrain from making the residents of Artsakh hostages to the disagreements with Yerevan. “We urge Yerevan not to withdraw from trilateral work. This negatively impacts the situation in the region and leads to an escalation of tensions. We call on Baku to take humanitarian steps towards the complete unblocking of the corridor and not to make the population of Artsakh hostages to political disagreements with Yerevan,” said Maria Zakharova.

According to her, Moscow continues to work towards the complete unblocking of the Lachin corridor through Russian peacekeeping forces and other means. “We expect that the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides will continue to fulfill all obligations outlined in the trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020. This is a priority,” noted Zakharova.

It is noteworthy that on December 12, 2022, a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes closed the Stepanakert-Goris highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia, citing environmental reasons, and left the area on April 28. This was after Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint on the Lachin road on April 23, completely taking control of it. On the morning of June 15, around 08:40, a group of Azerbaijani border guards attempted to advance towards the Hakari Bridge with the aim of placing a flag on Armenian territory. The attempt was thwarted by measures taken by the Armenian side. Following the Azerbaijani provocation near the Hakari Bridge, all humanitarian passenger and cargo transfers through the Kashatagh (Lachin) corridor have been blocked by Azerbaijan.