Artsakh's Foreign Ministry Responds to Kommersant Article

The Russian newspaper Kommersant, in an article titled "Artsakh Against Karabakh," referencing an unnamed informant from Russian state institutions, reported on a proposal from the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding the opening of the Aghdam road and subsequently restoring movement through the Lachin Corridor. What is Artsakh's position on this issue?

Due to the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, the Republic of Artsakh has consistently maintained its position on resolving the acute humanitarian crisis that has arisen from this situation. This stance is based not only on the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the sixth point of which clearly outlines the operational parameters and regulations of the Lachin corridor, but also on the principles of international humanitarian law. In this context, any initiative that ties the use of the Lachin corridor, especially under extremely restrictive conditions, to other issues and alternative routes—including Aghdam—actually constitutes an attempt by Azerbaijan to legitimize its violations of international obligations concerning the Lachin corridor and to amend the trilateral statement signed by its president on November 9, 2020.

The persistent approach proposed by Azerbaijan deliberately violates the rights and dignity of the people of Artsakh, while also contradicting the norms of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We reiterate that the proposal for alternative transport routes is part of Azerbaijan's political strategy aimed at using the humanitarian disaster and threat of starvation it has fomented as a weapon for the violent subjugation of Artsakh and its people.

It is also important to emphasize that the Azerbaijani proposal essentially restricts the use of the Lachin corridor exclusively for the medical evacuation of individuals needing treatment in Armenia, and possibly for the extremely limited transport of goods from Artsakh to Armenia, contingent on receiving permission from Baku. By refusing to ensure the free and safe movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions through the Lachin corridor and offering alternative routes, the Azerbaijani side is systematically seeking to sever the deep ties that exist between the people of Armenia and Artsakh, depriving them of identity, self-sufficiency, and development potential.

This initiative is also aimed at dismantling the concept of the Lachin Corridor, which is a key element in the comprehensive, just, and dignified resolution of the conflict. It is worth noting that the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice on February 22 and July 6, 2023, do not provide for any Azerbaijani presence in the Lachin corridor or restrictions on the movement of individuals, vehicles, and goods in both directions. Notably, on February 28, 2023, while in Baku, the Russian Foreign Minister confirmed that the installation of checkpoints in the Lachin corridor is not envisaged by the trilateral statement.