Armenia's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Responds to Zakharova's Statement

The spokesperson of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to media inquiries regarding the statement made by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, concerning the incident that occurred on June 15 at the Hakari bridge involving Russian peacekeepers due to the absence of border demarcation.

In response to a question about how to interpret the Russian Foreign Ministry representative's comments on the June 15 incident, the Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated: "In response to the remarks of the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I consider it necessary to emphasize the following: The incident on June 15 occurred not in the Lachin corridor, as mentioned by the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, but rather in the sovereign territory of Armenia, on the Armenian side of the Hakari bridge. There is a clear contradiction in the comments from the Russian side. If, due to the absence of border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is impossible to determine where the border lies, and this is the cause of ongoing problems, as claimed by the Russian Foreign Ministry representative, then the question arises on what basis and principle the Azerbaijani flag was installed on that specific section of the border on June 15, on this side of the bridge. It is worth noting that this same thesis is repeatedly and literally echoed by the Azerbaijani side when conducting aggressive actions against the borders of the Republic of Armenia and invading the sovereign territory of Armenia.

It remains unclear why Russian peacekeepers participated in these Azerbaijani actions when both the purpose and the location of the operation were clearly outside the scope of the peacekeepers' functions and responsibility. We remind that the sole relevant function of the Russian peacekeepers in this area was to maintain control over the Lachin corridor, which spans 5 kilometers in width.

Additionally, after the incident on June 15, the Azerbaijani side completely blocked the Lachin corridor, resulting in humanitarian necessities, including food and medicine, not being transported to Nagorno-Karabakh, including aid from the ICRC. Patients in need of serious medical assistance have not been transferred from Nagorno-Karabakh to medical institutions in Armenia, and the supply of gas and electricity continues to be disrupted.

In conclusion, we call on the parties who signed the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, and the other obligations undertaken by the leaders of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan, to fulfill their commitments without seeking excuses.