ArmInfo. Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova reminded of the procedure of moving through the Lachin corridor.
Thus, on January 20, during a weekly briefing, in response to a request to express Moscow's position in connection with the threats of the President of Azerbaijan against French presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh, Zakharova recalled that assessments on Azerbaijani-French relations can be given by representatives of two countries - France and Azerbaijan.
At the same time, referring to the passage through the Lachin corridor, which is coordinated by Russian peacekeepers, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that the Russian peacekeeping contingent will be deployed along the line of contact and in the Lachin corridor, in accordance with the statement of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, signed on November 9, 2020 a complete ceasefire and cessation of all types of hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"In accordance with paragraph 6 of this statement, the Lachin corridor is under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of the movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions along the Lachin corridor. The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent has determined the procedure for visiting, including by foreign citizens and representatives of international organizations, the area of the peacekeeping operation, which is well known to the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides. In particular, provision is made for advance and proper notification of Russian peacekeepers of such trips. This is the basic approach", summed up Zakharova.
It should be noted that on January 12, Ilham Aliyev, in an interview with local TV channels, criticized the behavior of Pecresse . "If we had known about the last illegal visit of Valerie Pecresse, we would not have let her go back," he said. Visiting Athens, Valerie Pecresse reacted sharply to Aliyev's words, noting the seriousness of such a threat to a French presidential candidate. The French Foreign Ministry also stood up for Pecresse, noting that the position on the inadmissibility of such behavior has already been conveyed to the Azerbaijani ambassador in the country.
Meanwhile, as Le Figarowrites, Christophe Castaner , head of Macron's "La Republique En Marche" faction indicated that "Emmanuel Macron will always respond to threats against political figures," and Valerie Pecresse will not be an exception. "He does it all the time," Castaner added. "Valerie Pecresse made remarks that the Azerbaijani side did not like, but she has every right to do so," the politician said. On Monday, Le Figaro contacted the Elysee Palace. Administration officials said a response would be ready soon.