ArmInfo. The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh has become dangerously aggravated. Azerbaijan has been illegally and defiantly blocking the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor for several days now - the only road of life connecting the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia. Member of the State Duma, coordinator of the International <Lazarev Club> Konstantin Zatulin, states.
The Russian MP stated that under the false pretext of caring for the environment in the territory controlled by the enemy, the Azerbaijani side is grossly violating the agreements enshrined in the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, which is signed by the heads of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Baku is in a hurry to realize its goals. A new Azerbaijani provocation is part of the strategy of squeezing Armenians out of their native land that can cause a humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh. The supply of food and medicine, as well as the normal functioning of public utilities, have been called into question. The blockade of the Lachin corridor has been supplemented by a gas supply cut to Nagorno- Karabakh, which can no longer be connected and linked to the initiative of the so-called environmentalists. Schools were closed, under the threat of shutting off heating in winter, all other social facilities," he said.
According to Zatulin, Baku's actions are also an attempt to discredit and undermine the mission of Russian peacekeepers in the region.
"Baku apparently believes that Russia's confrontation with the West in Ukraine is a favorable moment for weakening its role and influence in the Transcaucasus. Wasn't it too early in Azerbaijan that they could have Lady Luck on their side?
On my own behalf and on behalf of the Council of the International "Lazarev Club" I demand an end to the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. I hope that the leaders of the Russian Federation, diplomats and military will find convincing arguments to return the situation to its normal course. The responsibility for the further and possible consequences of the delay lies entirely with the Azerbaijani side," the Russian MP summed up.
It should be noted that on December 12 at 10:30 am a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway. Armenian telegram channels have already identified employees of the special services of Azerbaijan among the so-called ecologists. The Azerbaijanis are behaving loosely, trying to provoke Russian peacekeepers, and have set up a tent on the only road linking Artsakh with Armenia. The road remains closed to this day. The so-called Azerbaijani environmentalists, who were lit up in the photo with a demonstration of the symbol of Turkish "Gray Wolves" ultranationalists, said that they would remain on the road until the head of the peacekeeping contingent, Andrei Volkov, arrived.
In addition, on the evening of December 13, Azerbaijan also closed the valve of the gas pipeline that supplies gas to the population of Nagorno Karabakh. The international community reacts rather sluggishly to this terror perpetrated by Aliyev's dictatorial regime.
It is noteworthy that the Azerbaijanis who blocked the Stepanakert-Goris highway "started changing their tune", now they demand control and activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service of Azerbaijan throughout the territory of the Republic of Artsakh.
Late on December 13, more than 24 hours later, the US State Department, France and the EU called for traffic to be restored. We add that the first provocations by the so-called environmentalists began on December 3 with the blocking of the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia. Over the past week, the enemy side periodically undertook various kinds of provocations, both against Russian peacekeepers and against the civilian population. And already on December 10, a group of Azerbaijanis tried to get into two mines operating in the NKR, however, the Karabakh people did not allow the enemies to get into these mines. According to independent analysts, the creation of a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and the actions of "activists" are sponsored by the British Anglo Asian Mining company and supported by the British Embassy in Baku.