Azerbaijan blasts Armenian statement on Lachin protests as baseless, provocative

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Azerbaijan on Wednesday blasted a statement from Armenia on the ongoing protests on the Lachin road, which connects Armenia to the Karabakh region, as baseless and provocative.

“The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia on Jan. 3, 2023 regarding the protests on the road to Lachin is completely groundless and aims to sow confusion among international partners and artificially escalate the situation,” a Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry statement said.

The statement said that the Armenian side is still interested in “the continuation of illegal economic and other activities on the territory of Azerbaijan,” adding that Yerevan continued to ignore appeals by Baku to prevent such actions.

“All these actions have caused the rightful protest of the Azerbaijani public, and a peaceful demonstration is being held with the demand to prevent abuse of the Lachin road, which is intended only for humanitarian purposes,” the statement noted.

The statement also denied claims that the protests have resulted in the road’s closure, noting that vehicles belonging to the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region have used the Lachin road without hindrance.

“Despite the appeals of the Azerbaijani side to the Armenian residents that the road is open and can be used according to the purpose of the tripartite declaration, the fact that the provocateurs, who present themselves as representatives of the Armenian residents living in Karabakh, prevent the population from using the road proves once again that it is precisely such people who created a false impression of the protests,” it added.

The statement also called accusations by Armenia that Azerbaijan is conducting “deportations and ethnic cleansing” in the region “absurd,” adding that such accusations are meant to cover up “the systematic and consistent policy of ethnic cleansing committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis” in the 20th century.

“Azerbaijan once again calls on Armenia to comply with its obligations arising from international law and the (2021) Tripartite Declaration, to refrain from activities directed against Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to stop aggressive political and military provocations,” it added.

Since Dec. 12, Azerbaijani ecologists representing NGOs have been protesting Armenia’s illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Karabakh region, where Russian peacekeepers have been stationed since the aftermath of the fall 2020 conflict in the region and a January 2021 pact with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan 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, in 44 days of clashes, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​