ArmInfo. The opening of the Lachin road, which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, is possible in the coming days. Assistant to the president of Azerbaijan, head of the foreign policy department of the presidental administration of this country Hikmet Hajiyev told journalists on August 31, RIA Novosti reports.
According to him, the factor of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity is very important in the opening of the Lachin road. "At the same time, this should take place subject to the observance of the laws of our country and relevant laws regarding border control, as well as the rules of the customs service," Hajiyev said, adding that Azerbaijan will never accept the presence of any "gray zone" on its territory, apparently referring to Russian peacekeepers.
It should be noted that some change in Baku's position should most likely be taken in the context of serious pressure from the international community.
Since December 12, 2022, Artsakh has been under blockade due to the blocking of the interstate highway Stepanakert-Goris-Berdzor (Lachin) corridor by Azerbaijan, the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, as a result, the rights of 120,000 of the country's population, including 30,000 children, have been violated. Despite the fact that on February 22 the International Court of Justice granted Armenia's demand and ordered Azerbaijan not to impede the free movement of goods, people and vehicles through the Lachin corridor in both directions, Baku has not yet complied with this legally binding decision. Moreover, on April 23, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. And after the June 15 incident, the Azerbaijani side completely blocked the Lachin corridor, and even humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is not delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh. On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy to Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan also did not let pass. Moreover, for the second day, humanitarian cargo collected by various provinces of France has been standing idle on the border.