‘Game Over.’ Baku Says Aghdam the Only Route to Stepanakert
Official Yerevan on Wednesday denied claims by Baku that there was an agreement to utilize a road between Aghdam to Stepanakert as a means to deliver humanitarian supplies to Artsakh, saying there was not such agreement.
Hikmet Hajiyev, an advisor to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Wednesday declared “game over,” adding that “based on the agreement made in Brussels,” the Aghdam-Stepanakert road is ready for the transport of any materials.
Ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels earlier this month, official Baku began advancing a new scheme whereby humanitarian aid to Artsakh may be delivered via Aghdam, completely bypassing Armenia.
After the conclusion of that meeting, the European Council President Charles Michel, who hosted the talks, told reporters that while the Lachin Corridor must open, delivering humanitarian aid via Aghdam should be explored. Several days later, the EU’s representative to the Caucasus, Toive Klaar, said that the Aghdam alternative would “compliment” assistance delivered via Lachin.
The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday sounded the alarm on the deepening humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, although not calling it by its name and simply referring to it as “the region.”
Klaar on Wednesday, in another social media post said that it is important for the ICRC to operate freely, without mentioning Lachin or Artsakh.
“The ICRC is doing a tremendous job in very challenging circumstances on the ground. It is important that they are able to operate freely. The is taking their warnings seriously,” Klaar said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Armenia’s Ambassador at Large Edmon Marukyan, in an interview with Armenia’s Public Television, denied Hajiyev’s claims and responded to him on social media.
“I have to say that Hikmet Hajiyev’s words should be interpreted as a wishful thinking, trying to present his desire as a reality. There was no such agreement in Brussels and this can be easily checked and verified by the closing statement of Charles Michel,” Marukyan said.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Pashinyan told reporters that he did not discuss the Aghdam scheme in Brussels because he “did not have a mandate” to do so.
During the interview, Marukyan noted that after the meeting of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the European Council President in Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel only announced that Azerbaijan is ready to provide humanitarian aid via the Aghdam road.
“I mean, look at the difference. This is Charles Michel’s statement, and presenting it as an agreement with Armenia is a total lie. At the moment, Armenia is clearly showing that Azerbaijan is lying to the international community that the Lachin Corridor is open,” Marukyan said, noting that the humanitarian cargo sent by Armenia on Wednesday is currently in the border area, awaiting that Russian peacekeepers would escort the convoy to Artsakh.
He added that another 500 tons of humanitarian assistance has been held in a warehouse in Goris and the delivery of that cargo is being impeded by Baku.
Marukyan said that Azerbaijanis tried to urgently gather the accredited ambassadors in that country and told them that “they are ready to deliver cargo via the Aghdam route, as agreed in Brussels,” referring to a meeting held in Baku on Wednesday.
“It is a lie and, of course, an appropriate response will be given to it,” Marukyan stated.
Marukyan emphasized that Armenia has legitimacy over the Lachin Corridor based on the November 9, 2020 agreement.
“There is Lachin Corridor, which is the only road maintaining the connection with Armenia, confirmed by the signature of the President of Azerbaijan. The only known corridor for Armenia is that corridor, it is the way of life, now we are trying to transfer humanitarian goods through that way of life,” he said.
Marukyan made it clear that in order to avoid speculations by Azerbaijan’s speculations, Armenia had announced in advance that they had no intention of making the trucks approach the illegally installed checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor.
“We said that the trucks have reached the border area, and the peacekeepers of the Russian Federation can take the cargo and transfer it to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. These are our steps, and we see that Azerbaijan is not able to grasp that. They qualify our step as a provocation, and now say that we have agreed on the Aghdam road in Brussels. That is an obvious lie. I think that Charles Michel’s office should also respond to this lie, because it is based on Charles Michel’s statement,” said Marukyan.
Hajiyev, Aliyev’s chief advisor, accused Armenia of “exploiting” the residents of Artsakh by holding them “hostage” through the “fake” effort to deliver humanitarian assistance “is nothing but manipulation and blackmail.”
“Armenia is engaged in political manipulation and speculation on Lachin road issue, which is functional for medical evacuations and deliveries,” Hajiyev claimed in another post on X, despite the fact that Azerbaijan has banned humanitarian cargo from traveling to Artsakh. The ICRC said on Tuesday that it had not delivered any supplies to Artsakh “in weeks.”
“Armenia should stop its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, withdraw elements of its forces from Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and cease financing illegal puppet regime,” Hajiyev added, demanding the “Disarmament of all illegal forces must be ensured.”
“International community should send a clear signal about usage of Agdam-Khankandi [Stepanakert] road and reintegration of Armenian inhabitants of Karabakh to Azerbaijan,” the Azerbaijani presidential advisor continued.
“There is no other way! Game is Over!” he said.
