The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the installation by Azerbaijan of a checkpoint on the road from Armenia to Karabakh

On April 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Azerbaijan’s unilateral steps to install a checkpoint (checkpoint) in the Lachin corridor zone. Baku and Yerevan are urged to abide by the terms of the November 2020 Trilateral Statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The day before, on April 23, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor – on the only road connecting the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) with Armenia. After the end of the 44-day war in 2020, this route is under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces.

“We call on the parties to immediately return to the existing agreements. We proceed from the premise that in any case the local population should not suffer and no obstacles should be created to their livelihoods,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Russia “continues its mediation efforts” and contacts with Yerevan and Baku “on the implementation of all the provisions of the trilateral documents that were signed two years earlier,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “The situation is not easy, it requires additional efforts. And most importantly, it requires the mentioned countries to understand that there is no alternative to the implementation of the mentioned agreements,” he told reporters.

Earlier, Azerbaijan accused Armenia of transferring military and ammunition, including mines, and other military supplies to Karabakh. The installation of a checkpoint is a necessary measure to stop this process, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Armenia categorically denies all accusations.

“The establishment of a border control mechanism at the beginning of the Lachin road will ensure the legality and transparency of traffic along this road and, thus, the safety of movement,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Azerbaijani border guards will carry out a new control mechanism together with Russian peacekeepers, the statement says.

In turn, the Armenian Foreign Ministry accused Azerbaijan of violating the terms of the ceasefire, adding that Baku’s unilateral actions “are aimed at disrupting the negotiation process.” “We call on Russia to finally fulfill its obligation under paragraph six of the Trilateral Statement by lifting the illegal blockade of the corridor and ensuring the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the entire security zone of the Lachin corridor,” the statement said.

They condemned Azerbaijan and the US authorities. The State Department stressed that the checkpoint “undermines efforts to build confidence in the peace process” and also called on the parties to “resume peace talks and refrain from provocations and hostile actions along the border.” On the same day, the French Foreign Ministry demanded that Baku fulfill its international obligations and restore the unhindered movement of people and goods along the Lachin corridor in both directions.

Since December 12, 2022, traffic along the Lachin corridor was actually blocked by an indefinite action of Azerbaijani environmental activists on a section of the road near Shusha. According to the organizers, the purpose of the rally is to prevent Armenia from exploiting the natural resources of Karabakh. On February 22, the International Court of Justice ordered Baku to allow free passage along this route, but the Azerbaijani authorities ignored this decision.

In parallel, clashes between the armed forces of the two states periodically take place along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The last time an Armenian soldier was killed during a skirmish on April 23 in the Armenian village of Sotk near the Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan. Prior to this, on April 11, three Azerbaijani and four Armenian soldiers were killed in a military skirmish near the Lachin corridor. In all cases, the parties accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

Baku, as it was evident from its previous actions to cut off communications between Karabakh Armenians and Armenia, is interested in establishing full control over the region, says Vadim Mukhanov, head of the Caucasus sector of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies of the IMEMO RAS. According to him, Armenia de facto continues the tactics of delaying the solution of the issue both on the peace treaty and on Karabakh. At the same time, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is already blaming Russia for the worsening situation against the background of the blockade of the region, although he is turning to her for help, Mukhanov continues.

“In recent months, the parties have fixed their tactics – Azerbaijan is increasing pressure, which it generally succeeds, while Armenia is trying to reduce it on various fronts, turning to Russia and other external players. Pashinyan has already changed his rhetoric compared to the pre-war years, agreeing to discuss the border with Azerbaijan. Armenia can no longer offer anything new and on a number of issues is on the lead of Baku,” says Mukhanov.

Azerbaijan is primarily interested in the early signing of a comprehensive peace treaty, which was planned to be done before the end of last year. It was not signed, and the Azerbaijani side has stepped up pressure since the end of the year, which is bearing fruit, the expert says. The reason for Pashinyan’s delay in the issue of the treaty can be seen in the fact that he fears mass anti-government protests, although his positions are strong.

“Russia, despite its limited capabilities, still retains the only but powerful tool to influence the situation – the presence of peacekeepers. This is the only force holding back direct military confrontation between Yerevan and Baku and speeding up the “solution” of the Karabakh issue,” says Mukhanov. If anything else happens after the incident with the checkpoint in the zone of responsibility of the peacekeepers, Moscow’s dissatisfaction will grow. But if the negotiation process resumes, the checkpoint problem will “sink” into larger issues like the border and the fate of the Armenian population of the region, the expert believes.

The installation of a checkpoint by the Azerbaijanis in Russia’s area of ​​responsibility is rather a formality in the context of the overall strategy of “trilateral” pressure on Armenia – military, political and informational, believes Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute. “Since December last year, Baku has actually been blocking and controlling traffic in the Shushi region. Now Azerbaijan has established this mode of travel de jure,” the political scientist continues.

This action, according to the expert, is aimed at completing the expulsion of the Armenian population from the region. “According to the statements of President Ilham Aliyev, the Armenians of Karabakh will be able to leave their homeland without hindrance, and it will be problematic for them to enter back,” the expert said. – He also announced that only “non-criminals” would be able to obtain Azerbaijani passports, without specifying whom Baku does not consider a criminal. Anyone who does not want to become the owner of Azerbaijani passports, the way is ordered.”