Lavrov's Proposal Accepted and Then Rejected in Nagorno-Karabakh

Currently, there is a significant pause in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace negotiations, filled with scandals and disputes surrounding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. This is reported by Коммерсантъ.

“Efforts made by our representatives, Western representatives, and international organizations to somehow calm the situation have resulted in nothing. Baku is not retreating,” stated a source familiar with the situation in the region from Russian state structures, noting that the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh are also resisting solutions.

As an example, he noted that Baku proposed an alternative route for supplying goods to Nagorno-Karabakh via Aghdam. Stepanakert rejected the proposal.

The source from Russian state structures indicated that the Aghdam route would ultimately be opened. According to him, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov initially proposed an option that was agreed upon by both the Azerbaijani side and the representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The essence of the proposal was that the Aghdam road would be opened, and the delivery of necessary goods would start through the ICRC. On the very next day after the commencement of traffic in that segment, based on Moscow's proposal, traffic along the Lachin corridor was to be restored.

“This option was agreed upon at a very high level,” the source from Коммерсантъ said. However, according to him, Stepanakert later stipulated that Lachin should be opened not after 24 hours, but immediately. Subsequently, Nagorno-Karabakh announced that goods of Azerbaijani origin should not be transported via Aghdam, followed by a scandal involving Vagif Khachatryan, for whose immediate release the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh demanded action. Ultimately, the compromise failed.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, there is hope that pressure on Baku will increase. The reality, however, is that none of the competing players for influence in the region is ready to move beyond verbal pressure on Azerbaijan. Russia, the EU, and the USA are proceeding with caution, trying not to damage the potential peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan while simultaneously competing for the right to become the primary peacekeeper,” the media outlet reports.