Lachin corridor

The Lachin corridor (Armenian: Լաչինի միջանցք, romanized: Lachini mijantsk; Azerbaijani: Laçın dəhlizi or Laçın koridoru; Russian: Лачи́нский коридо́р, romanized: Lachinskiy koridor) is a mountain road that links Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.[1] Being the only road between these two territories, it has often been described as a "lifeline" for the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.[2] The corridor is de jure in the Lachin District of Azerbaijan, but is under the control of a Russian peacekeeping force as provided for in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh armistice agreement. The territory of the corridor included the villages of Zabukh, Sus and the city of Lachin itself until 2022. On 26 August 2022, these settlements were transferred to Azerbaijani control. Four days later, a new route to the south was opened for use that bypasses the settlements of Zabukh, Sus and Lachin and instead passes by the villages of Mets Shen/Boyuk Galadarasi and Hin Shen/Kichik Galadarasi (formerly Kirov).[3] On April 23, 2023, Azerbaijani officials set up a checkpoint in the corridor, claiming it was meant to prevent "illegal" transport of military supplies and natural resources;[4][5] however, the republics of Armenia and Artsakh have denied these allegations and the ceasefire agreement does not explicitly limit the use of the Lachin corridor to humanitarian needs.[6] Azerbaijan's ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor, including its illegal checkpoint, has been criticized by numerous countries, international organizations, and human rights groups[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] many of which consider it a violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which guarantees the security of movement along the Lachin corridor in both directions.

2020–2022 map of the Lachin corridor following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement. The new route currently in use is located to the south of the Goris-Stepanakert highway.
Checkpoint in the Lachin corridor in 2017

History

During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Lachin corridor was blockaded by Azerbaijani forces for four years (August 1988 to May 1992).[14] In June 1992, the corridor came under the control of the Artsakh Defence Army.[2] For administrative purposes, it was part of the Republic of Artsakh's Kashatagh Province. In a statement to the United Nations on 18 September 2005, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, said "It is the issue of communication of the Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan with Armenia and that of the Azerbaijanis living in the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan with the rest of the country. We suggest the using of the so-called Lachin corridor – which should be called "Road of Peace" – by both sides in both directions provided that security of this road will be ensured by the multinational peacekeeping forces at the initial stage".[15]

In the aftermath of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which ended with a Russian-brokered armistice, the Lachin corridor became the sole connection between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.[2] The armistice agreement provided:

The Republic of Armenia shall return [...] the Lachin District by 1 December [2020]. The Lachin corridor (5 km (3.1 mi) wide), which will provide access from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and bypass the town of Shusha, shall remain under the control of the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation. Subject to agreement by the Parties, a construction plan will be determined in the next three years for a new route of movement along the Lachin corridor, providing a link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia with the subsequent redeployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to guard this route. The Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee the safety of traffic of citizens, vehicles, and goods along the Lachin corridor in both directions.

Following the ceasefire, around 200 Armenians remained in the Lachin corridor, with 30 of them in Sus, 100 to 120 in Lachin, and over 40 in Zabukh (Aghavno).[16] According to the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, a new corridor will be built in the region, as the Lachin corridor passes through the city of Lachin. When this new corridor is completed, the city will revert to Azerbaijani administration.[17]

On August 26, control of the Lachin District was transferred to Azerbaijan. Artsakh authorities gave the residents of the villages along the corridor 20 days notice to evacuate.[18][19] While Aliyev promised that long-term Armenian Lachin residents would be treated as citizens, he branded the remaining residents as illegal settlers and demanded that they be removed[20][21] As part of the ceasefire agreement, a new corridor will be built which will also be controlled by Russian peacekeeping forces.[19] Several analysts consider it unlikely that Azerbaijan will allow electricity, gas, and Internet infrastructure to be built along the new highway. [22][23]

In March 2021, a journalist for BBC visited the road, reporting that "since the war, Armenians have had no control over who and what uses this road", adding that control is now up to the Russians.[24] Being the only road that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to the Republic of Armenia, it has often been described as a "lifeline" to and for residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.[25][26][27][2]

Current situation
Main article: 2022–2023 blockade of the Republic of Artsakh

In August 2022, Azerbaijan built its part of the road around Lachin, while Armenia had not. On 2 August, the local Armenian authorities reported that the Azerbaijani side had conveyed to them a demand to organize communication with Armenia along a different route, bypassing the existing one.[28] Following the renewed clashes around Lachin, Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated that Azerbaijan's demand for the Lachin corridor was unlawful, since the Armenian side has not yet agreed to any plan for the construction of a new road. Azerbaijan accused Armenia of delaying the construction of its part of the road, while the part for which Azerbaijan was responsible had already been built. On 4 August, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, Gnel Sanosyan, stated that the construction of an alternative road to Lachin was actively underway and would be completed the spring of 2023.[29] On 5 August, local Armenian authorities told the residents of Lachin, as well as Zabukh and Sus, to leave their homes by 25 August, after which the towns would be handed over to Azerbaijan.[30][31] Some of the Armenian inhabitants burned their houses down.[32] As of 26 August, Azerbaijan regained control of villages in the Lachin corridor, including Lachin, Sus, and Zabukh.[33] Soon after, the alternate route to the south that passes by the villages of Mets Shen/Boyuk Galadarasi and Hin Shen/Kichik Galadarasi (formerly Kirov) opened for use .[3]

From 12 December 2022, citizens of Azerbaijan claiming to be "eco-activists" launched a blockade of the Lachin corridor,[34][35] leaving 1,100 people, including 270 children, unable to return to their homes.[36][37] This was followed by Azerbaijan cutting off the gas supply from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh (between 13 and 16 December), putting the 120,000 Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh at risk of humanitarian crisis.[38][39] The blockade was condemned by the UN Secretary General, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, and a number of other countries.[40][41][42][43][44] The issue is also on the agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe[45].[46]

On 26 April 2023 the Russian Defense Ministry said Aleksandr Lentsov had been appointed to replace Andrei Volkov as the head of its peacekeeping forces. Until 2020 Lentsov was deputy commander in chief of the Russian Army.[47] This came shortly after the Azeris had set up a checkpoint on the road.[48]

See also

References
  1. "Azerbaijan enters Nagorno-Karabakh district after peace deal". aljazeera.com. Al Jazeera. 20 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 December 2020. The Russian peacekeeping force of some 2,000 troops has deployed to the administrative centre of the region, Stepanakert, and set up checkpoints and observation posts along the strategic Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
  2. "Lachin is a ghost-town -- a crowd of burned-out,..." UPI. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. Shahverdyan, Lilit; Kucera, Joshua (15 September 2022). "Armenians warily travel along "the new road" to Karabakh | Eurasianet". Eurasianet. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  4. Presse, AFP-Agence France. "Azerbaijan Says Set Up Checkpoint On Key Route To Armenia". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  5. "Azerbaijan installs checkpoint on road to Nagorno-Karabakh amid fatal clashes". POLITICO. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  6. Council of Europe: Parliamentary Assembly. "Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee):The honouring of obligations and commitments by Armenia: Information note following the visit in Armenia from 17 to 19 February 2023". The Trilateral Statement contains no provision limiting explicitly the use of this road to humanitarian needs.
  7. Kitachayev, Bashir (16 December 2022). "Azerbaijani roadblock cuts tens of thousands off from food, fuel and medicine". openDemocracy. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. "Azerbaijan closes Lachin Corridor to install checkpoint". OC Media. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  9. "PACE rapporteur seeks to visit Lachin corridor". OC Media. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. Ahmedbeyli, Samira (24 April 2023). "Azerbaijan has installs checkpoint at entrance to Lachin road. Information and comments from Baku and Yerevan". English Jamnews. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  11. "PRESS RELEASE : Checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor – UK statement to the OSCE [April 2023] – UKPOL.CO.UK". Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  12. Canada, Global Affairs (25 April 2023). "Canada concerned with latest developments in Lachin Corridor". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. Von Cramon-Taubadel, Viola; Kouloglou, Stelios; Castaldo, Fabio Massimo; Hajšel, Robert; Incir, Evin; Kaljurand, Marina; Marques, Pedro; Santos, Isabel; Bielan, Adam; Fidanza, Carlo; Weimers, Charlie; Dzhambazki, Angel; Kanko, Assita; Brudzinski, Joachim Stanisław; Kruk, Elżbieta; Zalewska, Anna; Jurzyca, Eugen; Ruissen, Bert-Jan; Fragkos, Emmanouil; Ries, Frédérique; Ştefănuță, Nicolae; Bilbao Barandica, Izaskun; Šimečka, Michal; Charanzová, Dita; Auštrevičius, Petras; Hart, Javier; Paet, Urmas; Vautmans, Hilde; Strugariu, Ramona; Karlsbro, Karin; Hahn, Svenja; Grošelj, Klemen; Chastel, Olivier; Loiseau, Nathalie; Guetta, Bernard; Melchior, Karen; Cseh, Katalin; Gheorghe, Vlad. "Joint Motionfor a Resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh". European Parliament. RC-B9-0075/2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  14. "Dates and facts around Nagorno-Karabakh's 30-year long conflict". euronews. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  15. "UN General Assembly 2005" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  16. Sara Petrosyan (22 February 2021). "Փոքրաթիվ հայեր դեռևս բնակվում են Քաշաթաղում, բայց դա ռուսների քմահաճույքով է պայմանավորված". hetq.am. Hetq. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  17. "İlham Əliyev: "Yeni dəhliz hazır olandan sonra Laçın şəhəri bizə qaytarılacaq"". BBC Azerbaijani Service (in Azerbaijani). 1 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  18. "Karabakh authorities demand villagers quickly evacuate ahead of handover to Azerbaijan | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  19. "Fears for new Nagorno-Karabakh crisis as Azerbaijan threatens key road link | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  20. "Illegally settled people should be removed from the city of Lachin, the villages of Zabukh and Sus: Azerbaijan's President". Apa.az. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  21. "Azerbaijan retakes control of three Karabakh settlements | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  22. amartikian (12 August 2022). "Corridor of discord: about a new road that will link Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh". English Jamnews. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  23. "What to Watch for as Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks Gain Momentum". Stratfor. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  24. "Who Won the Karabakh War?". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  25. "The Lachin Corridor: Russian Peacekeepers Securing Artsakh's Lifeline". CIVILNET. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  26. "Fears for new Nagorno-Karabakh crisis as Azerbaijan threatens key road link | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  27. "Blockade of the Lachin corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh". Globe Echo. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  28. "Обострение в Нагорном Карабахе: что происходит и почему это важно" – via www.bbc.com.
  29. "Новая война в Карабахе? В Баку и Ереване винят друг друга и оглядываются на Москву" – via www.bbc.com.
  30. "Lachin residents given 20 days to leave homes ahead of Azerbaijan handover". OC Media. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  31. LLC, Helix Consulting. "Айк Ханумян предупредил жителей Ахавно и Бердзора, что до 25 августа они должны покинуть свои дома – главы общин - aysor.am - Горячие новости из Армении". www.aysor.am.
  32. Узел, Кавказский. "Азербайджанские пожарные прибыли в Лачин после поджогов армянами своих домов". Кавказский Узел. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
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  36. "Azerbaijanis again block the road to Karabakh". Eurasianet. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  37. "Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh". Caucasian Knot. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
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  39. "Азербайджан возобновил подачу газа в Нагорный Карабах". Kommersant. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
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  41. "UN Chief Urges Reopening Of Karabakh-Armenia Corridor". www.azatutyun.am.
  42. "Lachin Corridor: Greece calls on Azerbaijani authorities to ensure security of movement". news.am.
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