Lawmaker from Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party, chairman of the parliamentary commission on defense and national security Andranik Kocharyan believes that only Russia can open the Lachin corridor – the sole route connecting Nagorno-karabakh to Armenia that has been blocked by Azerbaijan for over 15 days now.

According to Kocharyan, the goal of the Armenian side is to translate into reality the trilateral statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan dated November 9, 2020. These agreements, he said, establish the obligations of the Russian Armed Forces (to ensure the smooth operation of the Lachin corridor. He said it was necessary to understand why they have been implemented so far, and what has now changed.

“Russia has multi-level interests with Azerbaijan, but it is more important for Russia to have its own armed forces in the region – in Karabakh and Armenia," Kocharyan said in an interview with the Public TV Company on Tuesday, December 27.

Kocharyan also noted that it is necessary to restore the military balance in the region, the violation of which led to the war in April 2016 and in the fall of 2020. This must be restrained if there is a desire to establish peace in the Caucasus - and peace and stability are necessary for Iran, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, he stressed.