Azerbaijan says 'no obstacles' to traffic in Lachin corridor

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Baku does not hinder traffic in the Lachin corridor, a route connecting Armenia to the Caucasus territory of Karabakh, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on Friday.

In a phone talk with his Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu, Bayramov pointed out that Azerbaijan put forward a number of initiatives to restore relations with Armenia, including proposals for a peace agreement, but the process was hampered by Armenia.

As examples of "gross violations" of the November 10, 2020 trilateral statement that ended the latest conflict between two former Soviet republics, he cited the presence of Armenian armed units on Azerbaijan's territory, illegal entry of citizens of third states into the territory of Azerbaijan through the Lachin road that is intended only for humanitarian purposes, and mine threats from Armenia.

He also informed about the illegal exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan, which lasted for about 30 years of occupation and intensified in recent years, noting Azerbaijani civil society protests against it in the Lachin corridor.

"Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed that the claims of Armenian residents about the 'blockade' of the Lachin road as a result of the closure of the Azerbaijani side, and the creation of a 'humanitarian catastrophe' in the region are completely unfounded, and vehicles use the road freely," the statement said.

He added that obstacles to the use of the road are created by people who introduced themselves as "the leaders of local Armenians."

The sides also exchanged views on other regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest.

The two former Soviet states of Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 44-day war in fall 2020 over Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

The war, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal, saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.