Pashinyan, Putin discuss Lachin Corridor over phone

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call on Wednesday, discussing the latest situation over the Lachin Corridor which was illegally blocked by Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the humanitarian, environmental and energy crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the blockade of the only lifeline connecting the region with Armenia, Pashinyan has noted the importance of Russia’s implementing necessary steps to overcome it, Armenpress reported, citing Armenian Prime Minister’s office.

The two Caucasian countries that have embroiled in a six-week of war in 2020 autumn over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, most recently got at loggerheads when Azerbaijan has blocked the key Lachin Corridor.

Since Dec.12, the Azerbaijani government-sponsored protesters defining themselves as environmental activists have blocked the road, claiming that Armenians in Karabakh were illegally mining the gold and copper reserves in nearby mines. The blockage halted the movement of people and goods in or out of the enclave, including food, fuel, and medical supplies, resulting in shortages of the products.

Since the Azerbaijani siege, Armenia frequently accuses Russia of not putting a sufficient effort to end the blockade, as Russia has a peacekeeping force in the region, deployed under the truce agreement signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia in November 2020.

During the phone call with Putin, Pashinyan also stressed the fact of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, Armenpress said.

The UN’s top court on Wednesday ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to allow free movement of traffic along the Lachin Corridor.

Pashinyan and Putin also exchanged views on the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Armenpress said.