Stepanakert confirms revision of timing of closing highway via Karvachar

The Martakert-Karvachar-Vardenis highway will be closed not on November 15, but later, David Babayan, an adviser to the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, has confirmed. There is no talk of blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, President Araik Arutyunyan has assured.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 10, the agreement of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh came into force. On November 13, President Araik Arutyunyan announced that the Martakert-Karvachar-Vardenis highway would not be closed on November 15 as had been planned, but "for now, will be under control of Armenian forces."

The Karvachar-Vardenis highway will not be closed immediately after November 15, David Babayan, an advisor to the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, has confirmed in an interview with the "Factor TV". "For some time it will operate; and the city of Berdzor will remain an Armenian one; and communication with Armenia will be maintained through it. And in three years the Russian party will build a new road bypassing Shushi; thus, there will be a direct connection of Berdzor with Stepanakert," the translation of Babayan's statement is given in the publication of the Telegram channel "Yerevan Speaking".

The extension of the terms is due to the fact that until November 15 it is impossible to carry out all the actions provided for by the agreement. The presidential adviser has noted that he could not give the exact time of operation of the Vardenis-Karvachar highway, says the publication of the Telegram channel "Armenian Lane".

In connection with the impending closure of the Martakert-Karvachar-Vardenis highway, anxiety arose in the society about the complete blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, but it "has no real basis," President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Araik Arutyunyan, wrote on November 13 in his Facebook page.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 14, 2020 at 07:28 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.