“Yesterday or the day before yesterday, a meeting was held between a representative of Azerbaijan and representatives of Karabakh, with the participation of the commander of the Russian [peacekeeping] contingent,” he said. “I think the issue will be settled very soon.”
Arayik Harutiunian, the Karabakh president, clarified afterwards that the Russian peacekeepers organized such “communication with the Azerbaijani side” on Sunday. He said that no progress was made towards the reopening of the corridor.
Lavrov made the remarks the day after his conversation with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov during which he reportedly called for a “swift and full unblocking of traffic along the Lachin Corridor.”
Bayramov was cited by his press office as again defending Azerbaijani government-backed protesters who blocked the vital road on December 12 to demand that Baku be allowed to inspect “illegal” mining operations in Karabakh. He said that their “legitimate demands” must be fulfilled.
Lavrov singled out other conditions set by Baku. He cited Azerbaijani allegations that Armenia shipped landmines to Karabakh through the corridor in breach of the Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani war. Both Yerevan and Stepanakert have strongly denied the allegations.
“We have proposed a very simple thing,” Lavrov said in this regard. “The [Russian peacekeeping] contingent authorized under the [2020] tripartite agreement to control traffic can check each vehicle for the absence of prohibited, non-humanitarian, non-civilian goods in it.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the authorities in Stepanakert reported that Azerbaijan cut off Armenia’s natural gas supplies to Karabakh for the second time in two days. The supplies were blocked for six hours on Tuesday.
Electricity supplies from Armenia to Karabakh were similarly blocked by Azerbaijan on January 10, leading to serious power shortages in the Armenian-populated territory. They have still not been restored.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the Karabakh foreign ministry said the continuing blockade and the disruption in power and gas supplies are aimed at creating “unbearable conditions” for the Karabakh Armenians and forcing them to leave their homeland.
“Azerbaijan is thus trying to close the issue of the Artsakh people’s individual and collective rights,” it said, urging the international community to force Baku to stop its “genocidal actions.”