Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Comments on Pashinyan's Statement Regarding the Lachin Corridor

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has responded to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements made during a government meeting, asserting that Pashinyan's recent attempts to 'exploit the situation in the region' are unacceptable.

'It is no secret that Armenia, under the guise of 'democracy,' continues its aggressive policy,' stated Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade. 'The Prime Minister of Armenia has no grounds to 'misinterpret' the International Court of Justice's interim decision regarding the Lachin road and to level accusations that Azerbaijan has 'supposedly' closed the Lachin corridor.'

It should be recalled that Pashinyan stated during the government meeting: 'Thus, we can note that Azerbaijan is not only failing to adhere to the International Court of Justice's ruling issued on February 22 of this year regarding the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor but is also escalating the situation by taking steps aimed at blocking internal transport communication in Nagorno-Karabakh. From elevation 2054, the Azerbaijani side has taken direct observation of Stepanakert, Hin Shen, Mets Shen, and several other villages via unpaved roads.'

Additionally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh reported that Azerbaijani forces had closed the Goris-Stepanakert highway between the villages of Agavn and Tegh last night. Since December 12, 2022, the Azerbaijani side has closed the section of the interstate road connecting Artsakh to Armenia near Shushi. For 108 days now, the population of Artsakh has been deprived of contact with the outside world.