Azerbaijani, Russian foreign ministers discuss current situation concerning Lachin road

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia discussed the current situation regarding the Lachin road Tuesday during a telephone conversation.

“The current cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Russia, the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the current situation in the region were discussed,” according to a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

It said Jeyhun Bayramov told his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that Armenia’s intensifying military and political provocations have seriously affected the normalization process.

Describing these provocations as “contrary to international legal norms and principles,” Bayramov said Yerevan is obstructing the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process rather than following agreements set on resolving the issues related to the use of the Lachin road and other alternative roads to “satisfy the demands of the Armenian residents.”

“Sergey Lavrov noted the importance of adherence to the commitments established by the Tripartite Declaration of November 10, 2020, signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia,” it said, adding that the diplomats exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Despite ongoing talks about a long-term peace agreement, tensions between the neighboring countries rose in recent months concerning the Lachin road -- the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​