Opposition MP warns of bigger escalation in Artsakh
MP Tigran Abrahamyan of Armenia’s opposition Pativ Unem bloc has warned of a major escalation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) following Azerbaijan’s latest attempts to advance towards the Stepanakert-Lisagor dirt road used to bypass the blockade on the Lachin Corridor.
The Artsakh Defense Ministry said its forces thwarted a renewed attempt by Azerbaijani troops to advance towards the Stepanakert-Lisagor road on Monday morning.
Earlier on Saturday, Azerbaijani soldiers occupied a hill near the road running parallel to the Lachin Corridor blocked by Azerbaijan for over three months. The Artsakh authorities condemned it as a gross violation of the 2020 ceasefire agreement and urged the Russian peacekeepers to take “concrete steps to eliminate its consequences.”
In a social media post on Monday, Abrahamyan called attention to Azerbaijan’s active construction of military infrastructures in the area from Stepanakert to Shushi and the Stepanakert-Lisagor road which lies within the five-kilometer Lachin Corridor.
“It's not just about a violation of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement, the problem is much bigger against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s impudence and impunity," the MP wrote.
“We are all tired of pointing to Azerbaijan’s non-compliance with this or that agreement, but the problem is that any incident, act of terrorism or other attack are clearing the way for a bigger escalation,” he stated.