Why Azerbaijan's humanitarian aid for Karabakh still stuck in Aghdam?
VIDEO

KARABAKH  31 August 2023 - 15:07

In his next report for Caliber.Az on August 31, political analyst Orkhan Amashov explained the reasons why humanitarian cargo from Azerbaijan is stuck in Aghdam although it is destined for the city of Khankendi.

According to him, the separatist regime in Khankendi continues to obstruct the movement of the aid trucks sent by the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society.

“Effectively, the Aghdam [Aghdam-Khankendi] road is currently blocked. It is also very obvious that Azerbaijan can’t let impunity reign in its own sovereign territory,” Caliber.Az quotes Amashov as saying.

He adds that there is currently a “grey zone” inside Azerbaijan in Garabakh regarding the presence of illegal Armenian armed formations, which should be disarmed and withdrawn.

“They should have been withdrawn in line with Article 4 of November 10 [2020] declaration but that has not happened yet. The question is how things will develop from now on. Will they disarm on their own, on their own volition? Seems very unlikely,” Amashov says.

In his conclusion, Amashov comments on the use of a “legitimate force” to disarm the separatists, an option which he believes is not “entirely unlikely” and time will show its availability.

Orkhan Amashov explains why #humanitarian cargo from #Azerbaijan to #Karabakh is still stuck in #Aghdam. What expects #Armenian separatists? #CaliberAz pic.twitter.com/NECQL1YUOR

— Caliber English (@CaliberEnglish) August 31, 2023

On August 29, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society dispatched 40 tons of flour products in two lorries from the capital Baku to the Aghdam district.

The cargo reached Aghdam on the same day but could not move toward the final destination in the city of Khankendi due to rejection by the Garabakh Armenians, who took on Wednesday to a road leading from Aghdam to Khankendi. They staged a protest to block the possible movement of the aid convoy.

Amashov earlier said the negotiations between the Azerbaijani side and the Russian peacekeepers have been underway to work out the best possible arrangement to send the supplies from Aghdam] to Khankendi.

The movement of the aid convoy to Khankendi could resume the traffic on the Aghdam-Khankendi road after decades. The proposal to use the road for goods supplies to the Garabakh region was put forward by Azerbaijani authorities, after multiple illegal shipments were uncovered on the Lachin road – the route connecting the Garabakh region of Azerbaijan with Armenia.

However, the Armenians in the Garabakh region and Yerevan turned down the proposal insisting on the use of the Lachin road, while simultaneously blocking the Aghdam-Khankendi road.

In July, President Ilham Aliyev said the so-called “leadership” of Armenians in the Garabakh region had deliberately installed concrete blocks on the Aghdam-Asgaran portion of the Aghdam-Khankendi road.

Caliber.Az