As a result of the agreement reached between the authorities of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh in August 2022, the route of the Lachin Corridor was changed with the launch of a new road, the Prime Minister said.
“But since the road connecting the Lachin Corridor to the Republic of Armenia was not completely ready, a temporary route was launched that entered the territory of the Republic of Armenia through the Kornidzor Bridge, then again into the territory of Azerbaijan, then again into the territory of the Republic of Armenia. According to the agreement reached, this route was supposed to operate until April 1, 2023,” the Prime Minister said.
According to PM Pashinyan, on Wednesday Armenia informed the Azerbaijani side that, according to the agreement, after the Kornidzor bridge the road will continue only through the territory of Armenia, and that the border guard troops of the Republic of Armenia will take over the protection of the state border of the Republic of Armenia in that area.
He emphasized that the border guard troops will be stationed at the state border of the Republic of Armenia in the same positions where the units of the Ministry of Defense were stationed until now.
PM Pashinyan said the Azerbaijani side tried to present the situation as another “blockbuster.”
“This approach is at least not constructive. No change in the Armenian positions has occurred as a result of all this, with the difference that we intend to protect the area in question, unlike before, through Border Guard troops. In other words, the change that takes place is as follows: from the same positions along the state border of the Republic of Armenia, the units of the Ministry of Defense will withdraw according to the plan, and units of the Border Guard troops will be deployed in their place. We made the same proposal to Azerbaijan as well, so that the same would happen on Azerbaijan’s side. I hope that this process will take place without provocations,” Nikol Pashinyan stated.
