Russia has called on Azerbaijan fully unblock traffic along the Lachin corridor – the sole route connecting Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) to Armenia.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia said in a statement on Friday, June 23 that the blocking of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan is a violation of the provisions of the Statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia dated November 9, 2020.

“Such steps lead to escalation of tension and do not contribute to maintaining a normal atmosphere around the ongoing process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia with Russian assistance. We call on Baku to fully unblock traffic along the Lachin corridor,” the statement said.

“We also hope that Yerevan will not withdraw from interaction in trilateral formats. Downtime in their activities has a negative impact on the situation in the region and leads to escalation on the ground. We note the importance of rhythmic work on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border within the framework of the relevant commission. We are ready to provide the necessary advisory assistance.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry called to both sides to remember the importance of strict compliance with the trilateral agreements of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia reached at the highest level, and maintain restraint and understanding of responsibility for ensuring security in the Lachin corridor area.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin was summoned to the Armenian Foreign Ministry on June 16 after an attempt by the Azerbaijani forces, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, to raise an Azerbaijani flag over Armenian territory, which left one Armenian border guard injured. Following the incident, Azerbaijan completely blockaded Karabakh.