Azerbaijan says it expects Armenia to return to negotiation process

MOSCOW (AA) - Baku expects Yerevan to return to the negotiation process for a lasting post-conflict settlement in the Caucasus, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on Thursday.

Speaking at a news conference with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Baku, Azerbaijan, Bayramov said he is ready for further dialogue on normalization with Armenia.

The minister added that he informed his French colleague about Baku's "clear position" on the post-conflict period.

According to the diplomat, the situation on the Lachin corridor, where Azerbaijan has established a checkpoint, was also discussed in the meeting.

"I informed my colleague about the illegal use of the Lachin road, including for the purpose of illegal visits to the territories of our country by citizens of third countries, as well as the plundering of Azerbaijan's natural resources," he said.

Bayramov said the Lachin road was used to transport mines to Karabakh, noting that 294 people have been killed in mines explosions since 2020, when the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict ended with the signing of the trilateral agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

"Against the background of Yerevan ignoring Baku's appeals, Azerbaijan eventually decided to install a checkpoint on the Lachin road in order to ensure transparency of its use. The Lachin road is open and will continue to be so," he said.

Bayramov also drew attention to Paris' "biased" and "pro-Armenian" position on the matter, recalling that France has never appealed to Armenia on any issues regarding normalization.