Armenian Prime Minister accused Russian “peacekeepers” of failing to fulfill their obligations

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused Russian “peacekeepers” of blocking the Lachin corridor – the only road connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh.

Pashinyan said this at a government meeting, the Armenian service of “Radio Liberty” reports.

Calling Azerbaijan’s actions to block the Lachin corridor illegal, the Armenian Prime Minister criticized Russia, stressing that Moscow does not fulfill its obligations under the trilateral agreement.

Pashinyan said that according to clause 6 of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, the Lachin corridor is under the control of the so-called “peacekeeping forces” of the Russian Federation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan guarantees the safety of movement of citizens, vehicles, and goods through the Lachin corridor.

“This point does not work today. De facto, it turns out that the Russian “peacekeeping contingent” does not fulfill its obligation to keep the Lachin corridor under control within the framework of the trilateral statement. Of course, something like this happens as a result of illegal actions of Azerbaijan, but this does not change the situation because the main goal of the Russian “peacekeeping forces” is to prevent such lawlessness, and in particular, to keep the Lachin corridor under control,” Pashinyan said.

He thanked all the countries and international organizations that gave a “clear assessment” of the blockade of the corridor.

The Armenian Prime Minister urged to “actively work on the issue of sending a UN mission or OSCE or OSCE Minsk Group fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and Lachin corridor.”

Pashinyan also said that Armenia had submitted its proposals on a peace agreement to Azerbaijan, stressing that Yerevan is ready to sign a contract with such content. “I hope Azerbaijan’s reaction will also be positive,” he said.

On December 12, the Lachin corridor was closed for travel due to the protest of Azerbaijani citizens demanding to stop the export of minerals from the region.

On December 13, Azerbaijan cut off gas supplies from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

On December 14, Yerevan appealed to the ECHR to oblige Baku to unblock the Lachin corridor. 

The European Union stated that it has been following the developments around the Lachin corridor with grave concern since the beginning of December.

As we can see, Russia is so busy and exhausted by its war of aggression against Ukraine that it is no longer a reliable partner for its allies. Unable to cope with its obligations, Moscow is now not considered a trustworthy player in the Caucasus and Central Asia regions.