On April 23, Azerbaijan established a border crossing point on its territory at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road, which is on the border with Armenia.
The State Border Service released a statement justifying that the move was aimed at preventing the transportation of personnel, ammunition, mines, and other military equipment from Armenia to illegal Armenian armed groups in Azerbaijan’s territory.
It was also claimed that Armenia had established also a checkpoint on their side of the border. This was, however, not confirmed.
Azerbaijan’s recent move to establish a border crossing point on its territory, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Armenia, has sparked concerns among foreign nations.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Azerbaijan’s move contradicted the commitments made under the ceasefire agreements and damaged the negotiation process. The ministry called on Azerbaijan to comply with its international obligations, especially to implement the mandatory temporary measures mentioned in the decision of the International Court of Justice dated February 22.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan responded to the official Paris, stating that it was the country’s sovereign and legitimate right to establish a border checkpoint on its sovereign territory. The press service of the Ministry added that there was no basis for the claim that this step contradicts any international document or court decision.
However, the US State Department expressed also concern about the move, stating that it could undermine confidence in the peace process. The State Department called on the parties to resume peace talks and refrain from provocations, and hostile actions on the border.
Russia also voiced its worry about the increase in ceasefire regime violations and called on Azerbaijan and Armenia to immediately return to existing agreements.
