Political scientists demand to set up checkpoint on Lachin road and exercise full military control in Karabakh

Baku/06.03.23/Turan: Sunday's escalation in Karabakh, which led to the deaths of people on both sides, radicalized Azerbaijani experts.

Head of the South Caucasus Political Science Club, Ilgar Velizade, left a post on the social network in which he notes the armed provocation carried out by the Armenians during the days when the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Klaar, is on a visit to Azerbaijan for consultations on holding a trilateral meeting in Brussels.

"The Armenians decided to stage a provocation in order to bring weapons, mines, etc. to the Karabakh region of our country through the "gap" in the Lachin route to strengthen the armed confrontation with the Azerbaijani armed forces."

Velizade sees in what is happening the intention to slow down the oral peace agreements, but warns that now is "not 2018 and not 1992." Azerbaijan can respond with force.

Head of the South Caucasus Research Center, Farhad Mammadov, stated that Armenians use country roads along the main Khankendi road - the conditional border of Azerbaijan and Armenia, or the R28 Yevlakh-Khojaly-Lachyn highway; this territory is included in the zone of TEMPORARY responsibility (5 km wide) of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent (RPC) - the only thing they are responsible for. The fact that the Armenian servicemen are passing through there to face the Azerbaijani servicemen demonstrates that the RPC has completely lost control of the situation; losses on the Azerbaijani side should lead to a response, namely the destruction of the military infrastructure of the remnants of the Armenian armed forces in Karabakh, otherwise there is no way!

Mammadov writes in the resource @mneniyefm: negotiations with the Armenians of Karabakh will have to be postponed... or they will meet and openly express an ultimatum on disarmament.

The main demand of Azerbaijan to withdraw the remnants of the Armenian armed forces from Karabakh is not being fulfilled. Russia claims that it does not perform disarmament and withdrawal functions, and directs arrows at the Armenian leadership.That is, Russians refer to the lack of a mandate to justify their inactivity. However, the current escalation happened in the 5 km zone of temporary responsibility of the Russians!

The main Western negotiators are arriving in the region: Klaar from the EU is already in Baku, followed by Bono from the USA. The negotiation track is bursting at the seams. The main obstacle to the negotiation process in the face of the remnants of the Armenian armed forces in Karabakh is becoming a threat of a full-fledged disruption of the upcoming meetings. I remember that the meeting on August 31 in Brussels happened after the operation "Retaliation" and the full implementation of the ultimatum of Azerbaijan on the withdrawal of Armenians from Lachyn, Zabukh, Sous and the transition to a new road.

The topic of the checkpoint becomes a necessity.

The next Global Forum is scheduled for March 9-10 in Baku, where the President of Azerbaijan traditionally speaks. Events can happen before this forum in order to speak out there, or use the forum platform to warn the Armenian side," F. Mammadov believes.

Milli Majlis deputy Rasim Musabekov outlined his vision on television. He said that after the March 5 event, not only the issue of creating a checkpoint on the Lachin road became relevant, but it is necessary to exercise full military control of Azerbaijan throughout the territory.

"It turns out that Armenians are moving not only along the roads where Russian peacekeepers are stationed. Without Azerbaijani control over the entire territory, possibly with the participation of Russian peacekeepers, it will be difficult to rule out such incidents."

During a short battle, on the morning of March 5, 5 people were killed in the zone of Russian control in Karabakh: three Armenian officers and two Azerbaijani servicemen. The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan accused the separatists of provocation that led to the shelling of Azerbaijani soldiers who returned fire to defeat. Both Ministries announced the need to create a checkpoint on the Lachin road. -0-