The transfer of the Lachin corridor was conditional from the very beginning, an expert on Azerbaijani issues Garnik Davtyan told journalists today.
He said that there was an agreement with the trilateral statement of November 9: 2020-23 to present an alternative road project, but Azerbaijan will present the constructed road to the public in 2022. This gives the expert reason to believe that Nikol Pashinyan had a secret agreement with Azerbaijan behind the backs of the people.
"I assume that there is a clearly treacherous secret process that has been hidden from the public and presented in the context of an era of peace. By hiding all the challenges, they are promoting the idea of an era of peace, which will entail more casualties.
Second, the expert studies on the construction of an alternative road to Lachin were seen by the authorities as misinformation, dusting the public's eyes. In general, the transfer of the Berdzor corridor is a political agreement. There are also secret agreements under the clauses of the document which refer to Artsakh in order to receive concessions in future," he said.
Garnik Davtyan does not consider it a coincidence that the Armenian armed forces left Artsakh a day earlier than August 3, and the next day the Azerbaijanis managed to enter the areas uncontrolled by the Artsakh Defense Army.
"The head of the Ekhtsaog community confirmed that Azerbaijan's positions have recently advanced significantly. The main purpose of the Berdzor corridor was not only to create such a documented political environment that the corridor should be given away, but also to play on an emotional basis. When a villager, having experienced the hardships of a 44-day war that caused so many casualties, sees that there are no Azerbaijanis on the opposite hill, he at least feels peace of mind. After a short time, when he sees an Azerbaijani soldier there, he asks himself: How is it possible that there are Azerbaijanis there? Because of this, they gradually lose confidence in the state. People are not sure if their place of residence will be next," he said.
Let us remind that the situation in Artsakh heated up from August 1. At the meeting of the Security Council convened on August 2 Arayik Harutyunyan stated that Azerbaijan demanded to set up a corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia via peacekeepers, using the new route. The next day the Azerbaijani side, having grossly violated the ceasefire regime, shelled military positions and a military unit, also using mortars, grenade launchers and assault rifles, which resulted in 2 dead and 19 wounded on the Armenian side. Already on August 5 Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Artsakh Hayk Khanumyan informed Aghavno and Berdzor residents that they should leave their houses till August 25.
It should be mentioned that point 6 of the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020 says that the parties should determine within three years the plan of constructing an alternative road which would connect Artsakh with Armenia. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan said on August 4 that work on the construction of the alternative road Lachin corridor has already begun and will be completed by spring. Azerbaijan has built a 30-kilometer section of the road, which should connect with the road built by the Armenian side. Russian peacekeepers will be stationed on a 5-kilometer section of the new route.