YEREVAN, APRIL 24, ARTSAKHPRESS. The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement on the situation in the area of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh, on Azerbaijan setting up a checkpoint in Lachin Corridor.
In the statement, Moscow expressed serious concern over the situation in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact, as well as the situation in the dialogue process between official Yerevan and Baku.
“We note with extreme concern the growth of ceasefire violations and various incidents which periodically result in fatalities from both sides. We find the growth of accusatory and aggressive rhetoric in the public dimensions of Azerbaijan and Armenia to be no less dangerous.
In context of the latest development of events of April 23, we especially emphasize the inadmissibility of any unilateral step which violates the main terms of the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020 between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, regardless of whether it is about the change of the mode of operation of Lachin Corridor without agreement or the attempts to use it with purposes not corresponding to the peace agenda,” the foreign ministry said in the statement.
The Russian foreign ministry also called on the parties to immediately return to the agreements. It added that the local population should not be impacted and there shouldn’t be obstacles for its welfare.
“We believe that many of the problems are a result of the idleness and lack of progress in the negotiations process of many months in the main directions of the trilateral agreements between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, including in unblocking of the transport connections in the region, launching the delimitation process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and harmonizing the parameters of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We hope that Baku and Yerevan will demonstrate political will and will be able to overcome that negative trend in the near future. The Russian side is ready to provide the necessary help to its [dear] Azerbaijan and Armenia, both politically and on the ground, with participation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent’s command. We also warn the external Western actors and local Russophobic elements, who work with opportunistic agenda, to refrain from attempts to escalate the situation through a campaign against Russia.”
