Moscow says 'serious concern' over new Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions

Moscow on Monday expressed "serious concern" over fresh tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and warned against ceasefire violations between the foes, who have been locked for decades in a territorial conflict.

The comments came a day after Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the only land link to the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, sparking anger from Armenia.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous enclave of Karabakh that have left tens of thousands dead.

The majority ethnic Armenian region is still internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan despite breaking away after the fall of the Soviet Union, with tensions regularly flaring between the two countries. 

Moscow brokered a ceasefire after the latest bout of fighting in 2020, and posted peacekeepers along the sole road linking Karabakh to Armenia, the Lachin corridor.

"We express our serious concern about the situation within the zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh," the Russian foreign ministry said. 

The statement also warned against "unilateral steps" in violation of the ceasefire.

Tensions over the Lachin corridor have soared since last year, with Armenia accusing Azerbaijan of blockading the route and creating a humanitarian crisis in the mountainous enclave.

- 'Exacerbated' tensions -

Under the ceasefire agreement, Azerbaijan must guarantee safe passage through the corridor.

Azerbaijan, however, said it set up the checkpoint on Sunday "to prevent the illegal transportation of manpower, weapons, mines."

It added the checkpoint "shall be implemented in interaction with the Russian peacekeeping force."

Armenia denied the claims as a "far-fetched and baseless pretext" and said the move breached the ceasefire.

Armenia has accused Russia, distracted by the Ukraine offensive, of failing to fulfil its peacekeeping role.

On Monday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia was facing threats "exacerbated due to regional or extra-regional reasons."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that "the situation is not easy, it requires additional efforts."

Independent expert Arkady Dubnov told AFP there was already a "permanent irritation in Yerevan with regard to the actions of Russia."

He said Moscow was seen as showing "impotence or unwillingness to put pressure on Azerbaijan."

- Undermined credibility -

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has relied on Russia for its military and economic support.

The country is part of Russia-led regional Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and hosts a Russian military base.

Expert Andrei Suzdaltsev said the failure of Moscow's troops to stand up for Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan however "sharply undermined the credibility of the CSTO."

In January, Armenia scrapped plans to host CSTO drills, but has so far refused to quit the pact altogether.

Many analysts say the small country cannot afford to abandon the CSTO, even as the United States and EU have taken the lead in peace talks.

"Armenia made a sharp political turn. It moved away from a united front with Moscow to stabilise the situation," Suzdaltsev said.  

In March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of "undisguised attempts... to undermine the region's security architecture".

"We see what goals the West pursues in the South Caucasus. It doesn't hide them -- to tear Russia away" from the region, he said.

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© Agence France-Presse

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