Armenia to talk to Russia about Azeri cutoff of gas supply to Karabakh

Mirzoyan

YEREVAN, March 23. /TASS/: Armenia has been discussing with its international partners, in particular with Russia, the issue of the gas supply being cut off to Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Wednesday.

"We immediately made all our diplomatic efforts. Firstly, of course, we are in close contact with our Russian colleagues, since we know that a damaged or closed gas pipeline is the peacekeepers’ area of responsibility," Mirzoyan noted.

According to the Armenian top diplomat, this issue is also being discussed with other international partners. "Unfortunately, the issue has not yet been resolved on the spot."

On Tuesday, the Armenian Foreign Ministry accused Azerbaijan of cutting gas supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh in the vicinity of the city of Shushi, as a result of which 120,000 people who inhabit the area are facing a humanitarian crisis.

Intense clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, 2020, with fierce battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. On November 9, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a complete ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides would maintain the positions that they held, while several regions came under Baku’s control and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the contact line and the Lachin corridor.