[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Armenia said on Thursday that Russian peacekeepers should have full control of the only land link between its territory and the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.The comments, from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, came during fresh tensions between arch enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan.
On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna held talks in Baku on easing tensions in the South Caucasus. After visiting Azerbaijan, Colonna travelled to Armenia.
Last weekend Baku set up a checkpoint on the Lachin corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Azerbaijan’s Armenian-majority region, in violation of Moscow-brokered agreements.
"Russian peacekeepers must keep the Lachin corridor under control and ensure the operation of the corridor," Pashinyan said at a government meeting.
"No-one except Russia has the right to control the corridor," he added.
The Armenian leader said that "a wider international presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor is becoming more and more necessary every day."
Azerbaijan stressed however that it had every right to set up a checkpoint "at the beginning of the road in Azerbaijan’s territory."
It said the move had come in response to safety concerns, accusing Armenia of transporting weapons to Karabakh.
"Azerbaijan remains committed to taking all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin road," Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Elnur Mammadov, said in a statement sent to AFP on Thursday.
"Peacekeepers have independently confirmed they continue to deliver humanitarian aid
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