Zakharova again calls on Baku to open Lachin corridor and admits that humanitarian situation in region is worsening

ArmInfo. Moscow expresses its  extreme concern over the increasing number of ceasefire violations in  Nagorno-Karabakh and the continued blockade of the Lachin corridor.  This was announced on July 6 during a weekly press conference by  official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria  Zakharova.

<According to available information, the humanitarian situation in  the region is deteriorating. With regret, we have to state that due  to the cessation of supply, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh may be  left without stocks of food, essential goods and medicines. This goes  against the tripartite agreements of the leaders of Russia, Armenia  and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020. We call on Baku and Yerevan to  resolve all existing issues exclusively through political and  diplomatic means. We call on the Azerbaijani side to open the Lachin  corridor, ensure the unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and  goods along it for civilian purposes," she said.

To clarify what the actions of the Russian peacekeepers would be in  the event of Azerbaijani aggression, Zakharova stressed that they  would be in tune with the situation on the ground and correspond to  the agreements reached between the three parties.

At the same time, the Russian diplomat stressed that Moscow maintains  contacts with Baku and Yerevan to de-escalate the situation in the  region. She added that these contacts go both along the political  line and along the line of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.  According to her, nevertheless, a lot depends on the parties  themselves and their willingness to make compromise with each other.  "For our part, we are making all the necessary efforts," the  representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

At the same time, Zakharova did not comment on the statement made by  the President of Artsakh that three Karabakh villages in the Lachin  corridor were transferred to the Azerbaijani side on the  recommendation of the RPC in order to prevent Azerbaijani aggression,  assuring that she was not familiar with this issue.  <But, since we  are talking about the Lachin corridor, I would like to note that the  change in the route took place as a result of coordination in a  trilateral format, as provided for by the statement of November 9,  2020>, she said, noting that it is unfair to say that the action was  taken at the behest of one party in the matter. In conclusion,  Zakharova announced the inability of France to play a mediating role  in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, due to the lack  of competence on this issue.