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
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