Azerbaijan's foreign minister said that his country does not obstruct traffic in the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Karabakh.
In a phone talk with his Estonian counterpart Urmas Reinsalu, Bayramov pointed out that Azerbaijan put forward a number of initiatives to restore relations with Armenia, including proposals for a peace agreement, but the process was hampered by Armenia.
As examples of "gross violations" of the Nov. 10, 2020, trilateral statement that ended the latest conflict between two former Soviet republics, he cited the presence of Armenian armed units on Azerbaijan's territory, illegal entry of citizens of third states into the territory of Azerbaijan through the Lachin road that is intended only for humanitarian purposes, and mine threats from Armenia.
He also informed his counterpart about the illegal exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan, which lasted for about 30 years of occupation and intensified in recent years, noting Azerbaijani civil society protests against it in the Lachin corridor.
"Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed that the claims of Armenian residents about the 'blockade' of the Lachin road as a result of the closure of the Azerbaijani side, and the creation of a 'humanitarian catastrophe' in the region are completely unfounded, and vehicles use the road freely," the statement said.
He added that obstacles to the use of the road are created by people who introduced themselves as "the leaders of local Armenians."
The sides also exchanged views on other regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest.
The two former Soviet states of Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 44-day war in the fall of 2020 over Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
The war, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal, saw Azerbaijan liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed concern over the situation in the Lachin corridor.
The Russian side, in particular the leadership of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent, continues to take consistent steps to resolve this situation, spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a written statement published on the ministry's website.
Zakharova criticized "provocations" against Russian peacekeepers, saying Moscow considers attacks against them as "unacceptable and deliberate actions that cause tangible harm to the process of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization."
"We call on Baku and Yerevan to strictly comply with all the provisions of the Statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia dated Nov. 9, 2020.
"We note that the Lachin corridor should be used only for the purposes indicated in this document. We hope that the parties will come to agreements concerning the development of ore deposits in the region," she stressed.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have seen this month a new escalation over the Lachin corridor, with Yerevan, accusing Baku of blocking the passage.
Azerbaijani nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) at the Lachin corridor have been protesting the "illegal exploitation of natural resources" and other illegal activities by Armenia, but they have not "closed" or blocked the corridor, according to Azerbaijan.
