Zatulin: New Azerbaijani provocation in Lachin is part of a strategy  to squeeze Armenians out of their native land

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.