ArmInfo. Lachin was handed over to the Azerbaijani side, and therefore it makes no sense to qualify the new route linking Artsakh with Armenia as the Lachin corridor. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Arman Melikyan, commenting on a recent incident involving a group of Azerbaijanis blocking a road linking the two Armenian republics, stated in conversation with ArmInfo correspondent..
On the afternoon of December 3, a kilometer-long traffic jam formed on the section of the road connecting Artsakh with Armenia controlled by the Russian peacekeeping contingent. The government of the republic announced that "a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes blocked the road under the pretext of environmental safety" and described this action of the Azerbaijanis as a provocation. In turn, the Azerbaijani side reported that it sent specialists to monitor the environmental situation in the region, and the road was blocked by Russian peacekeepers. Negotiations with "environmentalists" were taken over by the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, General Andrei Volkov. Three hours after the incident, the road was opened.
Meanwhile, according to Melikyan, the road that operates today is not the Lachin corridor, it is just a road under the control of Russian peacekeeping forces, the status of which, unlike the Lachin corridor, has not yet been clarified. It passes through two villages of Artsakh. How can this road be called today, the former minister found it difficult to answe.r , Melikyan noted. From this point of view, according to the former minister, the Armenian side should put into circulation an adequate designation of the new route - as a transport infrastructure that, in addition to communication, also provides political and humanitarian functionality inherent in the concept of "humanitarian corridor". "We must seriously work in this direction, and, first of all, Artsakh must deal with this so that the status of the road is finally determined. Armenia should also be involved in solving the problem," Melikyan stressed, adding that Azerbaijan, by its actions, drew attention to this problem. The road was closed in the Shushi region, which is evidence that the Armenian side should have timely taken care of the construction of a road bypassing this city, which was not done. As a result, Melikyan continued, the problem of Shushi will now be constantly merged with another problem, the problem of the Lachin corridor.
As for the Russian peacekeepers, as the former minister noted, their allowances are fully provided through the territory of Armenia, and not Azerbaijan. They even need to have a special permit from Baku to enter Shushi. Russian peacekeepers move freely through the Armenian-populated territories, but cannot move freely through the territories under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces. "Each aggravation of the situation has a specific resolution, which is agreed with the command in Moscow," the expert said, adding that the actions of the Azerbaijani side are understandable - to create as many difficulties as possible for the Armenians of Artsakh.
He added that the statement of November 9, 2020 and subsequent documents did not provide for any sanctions if one or another side violates the agreements reached. < This document has no any legal value. Each of the parties can do what they want, and nothing will follow>, the expert noted. Melikyan noted that Baku is constantly trying to discredit the actions of Russian peacekeepers, which helps the President of Azerbaijan to keep his rating at a high level. "They directly say that at any moment they can kick out the Russians, as they call it, "from their territories." For the Russians, this situation, by and large, is not catastrophic, since the threat to Artsakh allows them to increase their presence in the region>, the former Foreign Minister of Artsakh noted.