There are almost no talks on the opening of the Lachine Corridor, Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan mentioned this.
“Azerbaijan made demands, we responded and announced that we are ready to receive the world’s best experts in the field of environmental protection, we do not see a problem in this, but there is no response. We are now in a situation where negotiations are not being conducted,” he said.
Vardanyan replied to the question whether Azerbaijan has any other demands besides monitoring in the mines.
“They want to guard the road, which is unacceptable for us. The document of November 9 clearly states that we must have a free road on which we can travel freely without asking anyone for permission.”
He noted that the December 25 rally in Artsakh showed everyone that the majority of people in Artsakh understand the three paths they should choose.
“One of those three ways involves fighting and getting out of this situation. It is the only way that the people of Artsakh have chosen. It is not my decision, but the decision of the people of Artsakh.”
To the question of how he evaluates the reaction of the Russian peacekeepers to the situation, the State Minister of Artsakh answered: “It would be easier for me to criticize the Russian peacekeepers, the Armenian government, the US, French governments, the UN, but what’s the use of that? The reality is that we have less than 2,000 Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh, who have very limited rights. In this situation, they do as much as they can. We may expect more, or our demands may be more, and we have the right to present our demands to the Russian side, but on the other hand, we can understand the reality. Those people who criticize the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh do not understand that they are consciously or unconsciously helping Azerbaijan, because they say the same thing, – that Russian peacekeepers should leave. By not suggesting any solution, they are simply helping to destroy the very important unity that exists in Artsakh.”
