Russian, Armenian troops escort vehicles on Azeri-controlled road

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian vehicles are usually escorted by Russian border guards and the Armenian National Security Service when driving on an interstate road that also passes through territories controlled by Azerbaijan, according to Karen Kocharyan, the deputy mayor of the town of Goris, Syunik province.

Kocharyan told Pastinfo on Tuesday, September 21 that although the situation is quiet on the road, vehicles gather in an Armenian-controlled area and only drive through the contested section of the road with the Russian troops and the Armenian NSS.

Kocharyan said fewer Iranian trucks are stuck on the road but said he didn't know whether the Azerbaijanis continue collecting money as road tax.

On September 12, the National Security Service of Armenia confirmed that the Azerbaijani police were stopping Iranian trucks on said road, checking their documents and inspecting the cargo. According to reports, Azerbaijanis also demand up to $250 from Iranian drivers. Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry, meanwhile, has confirmed the detention of Iranian drivers, accusing them of transporting goods to Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh's capital.