Azerbaijan rejects Armenian premier’s claims on Lachin road 'blocking'

Baku on Thursday denied claims made earlier in the day by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Cabinet meeting in Yerevan that Azerbaijan is "illegally blocking" the Lachin route.

A statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it reminded Armenia that it was provocations by the Armenian military that obstructed the safe passages from the Lachin checkpoint, where it said it created "appropriate conditions" for the "transparent and safe passage" of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region.

"It seems that Armenia is resorting to such provocations because it is deprived of the illegal activities it carried out through the Lachin road after 2020, as well as because it is concerned about the positive approach demonstrated by Azerbaijan during the passage of the Armenian residents," the statement said.

The statement rejected the Armenian claims that there is a "humanitarian crisis in the region" and Yerevan's calls for the introduction of an "international mechanism" in dialogues between Baku and local Armenian residents, which the statement said is "an internal matter of Azerbaijan."

"Azerbaijan is determined to implement relevant necessary measures for the reintegration of Armenian residents, and the invitation addressed to Armenian residents for the purpose of discussing these and other issues is still valid," the statement further said.

The statement also said that Armenia's use of this issue for "manipulation" and to obstruct the peace process in the region is "unacceptable."

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 in 44 days of fighting, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation. The Russian-brokered peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.

Despite ongoing peace agreement talks between Baku and Yerevan, tensions between the neighboring countries have escalated in recent months due to the Lachin corridor, which serves as the sole land route providing Armenia access to Karabakh.