Azerbaijan creating unbearable conditions to force Artsakh people  into agreeing to its ultimatums - Sergey Ghazaryan 

ArmInfo. The parameters and mode of operation of the Kashatagh (Lachin) corridor were determined  by the Tripartite Statement dated November 9, 2020, in accordance with paragraph 6 of which unhindered land communication between the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia was fixed. Control  over the corridor should be carried out exclusively by the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

This was stated by the Foreign Minister of  the Republic of Artsakh Sergey Ghazaryan in an interview with the  Russian Internet edition "The Moscow Times" in response to a question  whether he admits that the efforts of Stepanakert and Yerevan at the  diplomatic level can force Baku to remove the checkpoint from the  corridor.

In this vein, he stressed that the position and actions of the  Azerbaijani side completely contradict both the spirit and the letter  of the Tripartite Statement mentioned above. "In this regard,  ensuring strict and unquestioning compliance by Azerbaijan with all  the agreements reached within the framework of the Trilateral  Statement, including on the Kashatagh corridor, becomes an urgent  task. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to unite the efforts of  not only Stepanakert and Yerevan, but also those participants in the  Trilateral Statement who are really interested in ensuring stability  and compliance with established obligations," the diplomat said.

In addition, Ghazaryan continued, international actors who welcomed  the Trilateral Statement and now consider it as the cornerstone of  the current security architecture in the region should also do their  bit to ensure the stability of the region.

In this vein, he recalled that this document does not imply any  presence of Azerbaijan in the corridor, not to mention the exercise  of any control functions by it. "This point of view was confirmed by  the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on February  28, 2023, who, following a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart,  clearly emphasized that the creation of a checkpoint in the Kashatagh  corridor was not envisaged by the Tripartite Statement. Legally  binding decisions of the International Court of Justice confirm the  obligation of Azerbaijan" to ensure the unhindered movement of  people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin corridor in both  directions, "which excludes the presence of a checkpoint in the  Kashatagh corridor," he recalled.

Ghazaryan drew attention to the fact that since the closure of the  corridor - first under the pretext of "eco- protest", and then the  establishment of a checkpoint unilaterally on April 23 in violation  of the Trilateral Statement - Azerbaijan has been consistently trying  to break the existing natural deep ties between the people of Artsakh  and Armenia, to deprive them of their identity , self-sufficiency and  opportunities for development.

"Azerbaijan systematically and systematically creates unbearable  living conditions in the NKR in order to force the people of Artsakh  to accept its ultimatum conditions. Blocking the Kashatagh corridor  and imposing Azerbaijan's position on the people of Artsakh by  starvation and coercion are part of the genocidal policy of official  Baku. Therefore, we are talking about the responsibility of the  international community and , first of all, global actors for the  prevention of the crime of genocide and we proceed from the fact that  these states and organizations have the appropriate resources and  tools to prevent such a crime against humanity.We hope that they will  use the full range of opportunities to avoid catastrophic  consequences. once again emphasize that the prevention of genocide is  not only a right, but also an obligation of all members of the  international community," the chief diplomat of Artsakh expressed his  conviction.

To clarify whether there is a certain group of officials in  Stepanakert responsible for negotiating with the Azerbaijani side,  Ghazaryan recalled that since the end of hostilities in 2020,  mediated by the Russian Federation, meetings were periodically held  between the Artsakh and Azerbaijani sides, during which a number of  technical and humanitarian issues, including the restoration of vital  infrastructure.

"As for the discussion of political issues, including those related  to a comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict,  we have always emphasized the need for an agreed international  format, within which it will be possible to start searching for  mutually acceptable, balanced solutions that will ensure a lasting,  just and dignified peace" , the NKR Foreign Minister noted, adding  that his department, in cooperation with other authorized structures  of the country, develops and submits relevant proposals,  recommendations and position on the negotiation process to the  President for consideration.

When asked about the red lines of the leadership of Artsakh in these  negotiations, Ghazaryan stated that the people and authorities of  Artsakh know the price of peace and the price of war better than  anyone else.

"We are ready to discuss the whole range of complex and painful  issues, provided that the course and outcome of the negotiations  should not be predetermined. And given that there are numerous  violations of both individual and collective rights of the people of  Artsakh on the Azerbaijani side, clear international guarantees  should be defined for realization of the rights of the people of  Artsakh, including the right to self-determination," the minister  said.

To clarify whether the use of such a term by Azerbaijan as  "integration of the Armenians of Karabakh" is acceptable for him, the  head of the NKR Foreign Ministry stated that, first of all, it should  be noted that Baku uses the term "integration" as a screen behind  which hides the current policy being implemented.  violent  subjugation of the people of Artsakh with their subsequent expulsion  from their historical homeland. Therefore, the evaluation of terms is  impossible without taking into account the purposes for which they  are used.

"We believe that it is more correct to talk about the search for  mutually acceptable and balanced formulations that will be aimed at  developing solid and fair solutions and will serve the interests of  the world," Ghazaryan summed up.