Tuesday, May 2 2023 10:50

ArmInfo.A meeting with the newly appointed Commander of the Russian peacekeeping troops  Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov finished some time ago.

The Artsakh side was represented by President Arayik Harutyunyan, State Minister  Gurgen Nersisyan, Minister of Defense Kamo Vardanyan and Minister of  Internal Affairs Karen Sargsyan.  "We reiterated the position of the  Republic of Artsakh on the situation: the situation must be settled  under the trilateral statement of November 9, 2022, and Point 6 of  the statement reads: 

"Artsakh must be connected with Armenia by the 5-km-wide Lachin  corridor, which must be under the Russian peacekeeping troops'  control. Azerbaijan must guarantee secure movement of people,  vehicles and goods in both directions through the Lachin corridor. 

"After listening to us, the commander of the peacekeeping forces said  he would in the coming days hold meetings with the Azerbaijani side  and be able to settle the issue and provide information at the end of  the week," Mr Nersisyan reported. 

He calls on Armenia's authorities and people to take all the  political and diplomatic measures to ensure the Artsakh people's  security, defend its right to self-determination and ensure the  implementation of the trilateral statement.  

"I am calling on the international community to ensure that  Azerbaijan honor its commitments to unblock the corridor connecting  Artsakh and Armenia. Your inaction results in everyday differing of  Artsakh residents. I am calling on the Armenians worldwide to turn  their faces toward Artsakh and look at the people keeping Armenian  Artsakh through their own suffering," Mr Nersisyan said. 

Earlier Mr Nersisyan issued the following statement: 

"On April 23, 2023, Azerbaijan illegally set up a checkpoint on the  Artsakh-Armenia border line (in Lachin Corridor), which resulted in  the towns of Shushi region of Artsakh appearing in a total blockade,  being cut off both from Stepanakert and Armenia. The humanitarian  condition of the residents of the towns of Mets Shen, Hin Shen,  Yeghtsahogh and Lisagor of Shushi region began deteriorating each day  since April 23, we've attempted to supply food and medication through  the Artsakh office of the Red Cross, but these efforts gave no  results. During the initial days, three minors were taken back to  their parents from Goris with support of the Russian peacekeepers,  but the return of the remaining persons was banned by Azerbaijan. A  group of residents requested the Russian peacekeepers on the ground  to resolve the urgent humanitarian issues of the people who are in a  full and two-sided blockade, who allowed passage for private cars  without checks through the checkpoint on the Hakari Bridge, with  assurances in advance that there will be no control interference by  Azerbaijanis. Our citizens, with support of the peacekeepers, freely  passed the road on one way, however, on the way back to their  settlements together with the compatriots who were stranded in Goris  as a result of the checkpoint they met Azerbaijanis at the  checkpoint. The Azerbaijanis put our citizens in a desperate  situation and forced them to comply with their demands and filmed the  process to show off yet another performance.

"This is yet another proof that the illegal Azerbaijani checkpoint is  impeding the uninterrupted movement of Artsakh citizens, vehicles and  cargo, in violation of the terms of the 9 November 2020 trilateral  statement and the ruling of the UN International Court of Justice.  The people of Artsakh are waiting for the restoration of the mode of  the Lachin Corridor as defined under the trilateral statement - a 5km  wide corridor exclusively under Russian peacekeeping forces'  control."