ArmInfo.  The intention of the  Armenian government to build a 150-kilometer road from Kapan to  Hadrut (Nagorno-Karabakh) has angered and confused Baku.

Thus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan hurried to make a  statement in which it once again criticized the Armenian authorities  and accused them of intent to strengthen the existing status quo.   "The statement by a high-ranking official of Armenia on the  construction of a new road called the" southern direction "along the  "occupied territories of Azerbaijan" is another example of Armenia's  true intention to consolidate the status quo based on "military  occupation", undermine the settlement of the conflict through  negotiations and annex the "occupied territories of Azerbaijan"," the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan stated.

At the same time, Baku also assures that the "illegal" activities of  Armenia in Artsakh, including infrastructural changes, indicate that  its statements about the intention to resolve the conflict peacefully  are nothing but "hypocrisy and misleading of the international  community". As follows from the statement by the ministry, Baku is  concerned that by building this road, Armenia will begin to enjoy the  benefits of natural and other resources in these areas.  <The  co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of  the OSCE chairperson-in- office should pay special attention to  illegal activities in our "occupied territories" and to the serious  damage to the negotiation process. Despite the favorable conditions  for resolving the conflict, the continuation of illegal activities in  a destructive manner under the cover of the cease-fire regime is  another provocative attempt by Armenia to undermine the negotiation  process. Therefore, the entire responsibility for the further  development of the situation lies with the military-political  leadership of Armenia. We strongly condemn the provocative actions of  Armenia, which continues to commit illegal actions in the "occupied  territories", grossly violating international obligations, and demand  that the aggressor cease actions aimed at violating peace, security  and stability in our region and withdraw its troops from the  "occupied territories of Azerbaijan". Azerbaijan reserves the right  to adequately respond to such provocations of the aggressor state,  "the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed.  

Earlier, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen  Grigoryan, in an interview with the RFE/RL's Armenian editorial  Service, stated that the Armenian government plans to build a 150-  kilometer road from Kapan to Nagorno-Karabakh (to Hadrut) in 2020.  Grigoryan said the decision has already been made. "I hope that by  the end of the year we will summarize the discussions and we will  have a roadmap to build this road," said Grigoryan. He added that it  is planned to build a road in a short time – in 2020, there are funds  for construction.