Your trusted source

The escalation of tensions in the Lachin corridor hampers efforts towards the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS in an interview on Monday.

For nearly two weeks, Azerbaijani “eco-activists” have blocked the Lachin corridor, Artsakh’s (Nagorno-Karabakh) sole land link to Armenia, to protest what they claim is illegal mining.

"Naturally, incidents like the ongoing escalation around the Lachin corridor complicates the backdrop of negotiations, including on the peace treaty,” he said. “Russia is making strenuous efforts to settle the situation. We expect an early resumption of joint work in all areas of Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization.”

"We believe that the timeframe of agreeing the document is not so important in this case. The most important thing is that Baku and Yerevan were able to reach a mutually acceptable solution that would guarantee lasting and fair peace in the region," the diplomat said, adding Russia is ready to support the negotiation process stipulated in the trilateral statement of the Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders following the Sochi summit on October 31.