Russian MFA rejects criticism of peacekeepers in Karabakh conflict zone

Criticism of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh is unjustified, as the peacekeepers are helping to stabilize the situation, states Ivan Nechaev, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The official has added that the issue of the Lachin corridor should be resolved within the framework of the trilateral agreement signed by Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliev, and Nikol Pashinyan.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on August 3, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Azerbaijan announced the conduct of the “Retribution” operation in Nagorno-Karabakh in response to the murder of a military man. Baku demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Armenian troops from Karabakh. Nikol Pashinyan stated the need to clarify the functions of the Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.

The escalation took place amid the construction of an alternative road to the Lachin corridor, which was created according to the trilateral agreement signed by Vladimir Putin, Ilham Aliev, and Nikol Pashinyan. The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities informed residents of the communities of Akhavno, Sous, and Berdzor that they were to leave their houses by August 25, since the Lachin corridor would be handed over to Azerbaijan. Today, Baku has reported that the construction of the road along the new route of the Lachin corridor has been completed.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the wording of the trilateral agreement makes it possible to interpret it in a broad way. Azerbaijan, having built a section of the road bypassing the Lachin corridor, did not violate the terms of the agreement on Karabakh, and if the route of the Lachin corridor is changed, it will remain under the protection of the Russian peacekeepers, economist and geographer Alexei Gunya emphasizes.