Saturday, Russia Alarmed By Consequences Of Karabakh’s Blockade Russia - A view of the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow, January 13, 2019. Russia on Saturday again urged Azerbaijan to immediately lift the seven-month blockade of the Lachin corridor, saying that the resulting humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh could have “the most dramatic consequences” for the region’s population. It also appeared to link the worsening plight of the Karabakh Armenians to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s decision to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. “The humanitarian crisis in that territory is deepening,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The local population is experiencing an acute shortage of food, medicine, basic necessities, and is practically deprived of electricity and gas supply. This may entail the most dramatic consequences for the Karabakh Armenians - ordinary residents of the region. “We strongly urge the Azerbaijani leadership to take urgent measures for the immediate unblocking the Lachin corridor and the resumption of unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions along it as well as energy supply to the region.” The statement came one month after Baku further tightened the blockade by banning Russian peacekeepers from shipping limited amounts of food, medicine and fuel to Karabakh. This aggravated the shortages of essential items there. NAGORNO-KARABAKH -- An armored personnel carrier of the Russian peacekeeping forces is seen in Dadivank Monastery, November 24, 2020 Thousands of Karabakh Armenians attended on Friday a demonstration organized by the authorities in Stepanakert in protest against the blockade. Speaking at the rally, Karabakh leaders demanded that Russia and its peacekeeping contingent unblock the Lachin corridor. The Armenian government has repeatedly criticized the peacekeepers for not ensuring Baku’s compliance with the 2020 ceasefire agreement which was brokered by Moscow and placed the corridor under their control. In a clear response to that criticism, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian recognized Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh during his October 2022 and May 2023 meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev mediated by the European Union. “While we respect the sovereign decision of the Armenian leadership, this radically changed the underlying conditions in which the Statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia of November 9, 2020 was signed as well as the position of the Russian peacekeeping contingent deployed in the region,” read its statement. “We believe that in these conditions, responsibility for the fate of the Armenian population of Karabakh should not be shifted to third countries.” Belgium - European Council President Charles Michel hosts talks between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels, May 14, 2023. The Armenian opposition has likewise said that Pashinian’s decision to agree to the restoration of Azerbaijani control over Karabakh emboldened Baku to tighten the screws on the Karabakh Armenians. Not surprisingly, some opposition leaders seized upon the Russian Foreign Ministry statement to again attack the prime minister. In a Facebook post, Andranik Tevanian, a lawmaker representing the main opposition Hayastan alliance, said Moscow made clear that “the siege of Artsakh is a consequence of the decision made by Nikol Pashinian in Prague in 2022.” “Simply put, the Russian side is saying that ‘if the Armenian government has surrendered Artsakh, what do you want from us?’” wrote Tigran Abrahamian of the Pativ Unem bloc. “It is hinting that their rules of the game did not presuppose Azerbaijanization of Artsakh.” The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated on Saturday that a peace treaty currently discussed by Baku and Yerevan must contain “reliable and clear guarantees of the rights and security of the Armenians of Karabakh.” Moscow has been very critical of the EU and U.S. efforts to broker an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord, saying that they are ultimately aimed at driving Russia out of the South Caucasus. The Western powers have denied that. EU Chief Hosts Another Armenian-Azeri Summit Belgium - EU Council President Charles Michel meets the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels, . Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels on Saturday for fresh talks hosted by the European Union’s top official, Charles Michel. Speaking after the trilateral meeting, Michel gave no indications that Aliyev and Pashinian narrowed their differences on an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty discussed by them. He said he urged them to “take further courageous steps to ensure decisive and irreversible progress on the normalization track.” “Even though our meeting took place in the context of a worrying increase in tensions on the ground, I noted an important momentum in the political discussions and efforts,” Michel said in a statement to the press. “The Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders once again fully reconfirmed the respect for the other country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the understanding that Armenia’s territory covers 29,800 square kilometers and Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers.” “Real progress depends on the next steps that will need to be taken in the near future,” added the president of the European Council, the EU’s top decision-making body. An Armenian government statement on the talks said the three leaders agreed to “intensify the work towards the settlement of the discussed issues,” which included not only the would-be treaty but also Azerbaijan’s continuing blockade of the Lachin corridor, “the rights and security” of the Karabakh Armenians and planned transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. According to Aliyev’s office, the agenda of the meeting included Baku’s demands for “the withdrawal of Armenian army units from Azerbaijani territory” and the dissolution of Karabakh’s “illegal” armed forces. Armenia has repeatedly denied any military presence in Karabakh. Pashinian said last week that the peace accord is not “yet ready for signing.” The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported earlier that Baku and Yerevan continue to disagree on practical modalities of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and organizing a dialogue between Baku and Karabakh’s leadership. Michel voiced support for such a dialogue, saying that Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population “needs reassurances first and foremost regarding the rights and security.” He signaled no further progress on this issue made in Brussels. Turning to the Azerbaijani blockade and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Karabakh, Michel said he discussed with Aliyev and Pashinian “possible concrete steps to help bring the situation back to normal.” “I emphasized the need to open the Lachin road,” he said without reporting any understandings on this score. Pashinian charged earlier this month that the seven-month blockage of Karabakh’s only land link with Armenia reflects Baku’s intention to commit “genocide” in the region. He made clear at the same time that he will not deviate from his “peace agenda” denounced by the Armenian opposition as well as Karabakh’s leadership. Opposition leaders claim that Baku was emboldened by his recent pledge to sign a peace deal upholding Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.