Presidential aide: Maintaining "grey area" status quo - futile strategy

Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev has called on the international community to redouble their efforts and exert pressure on Armenia and its illegal regime to end their destructive policy.

“We continue to engage with ICRC to ensure the soonest and simultaneous opening of Aghdam-Khankandi and Lachin-Khankandi roads for ICRC convoyed trucks as agreed in the telephone conversation between President Ilham Aliyev and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 1,” the presidential aide wrote on X (former Twitter), Caliber.Az reports.

We continue to engage with @ICRC to ensure the soonest and simultaneous opening of Agdam-Khankandi and Lachin-Khankandi roads for ICRC convoyed trucks as agreed in the telephone conversation between @presidentaz and @SecBlinken on September 1st.

12 calendar days have passed…

— Hikmet Hajiyev (@HikmetHajiyev) September 13, 2023

He drew attention to the fact that 12 calendar days have passed since then, but the illegal regime subordinated to Armenia refuses to allow this passage and opening of roads.

“We urge our international partners to redouble their efforts and exert pressure on Armenia and its proxy/subordinated illegal regime to end this destructive policy. Maintaining the grey area status quo and deliberate weaponisation of humanitarian issues are their futile strategy,” he wrote.

To recap, two trucks with food, sent by the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society on August 29 to meet the needs of Armenians living in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, have been waiting on the Aghdam-Khankendi road for 12 days. 

Another truck loaded with food and non-food products sent by the Russian Red Cross Society to meet the food needs of the Armenian residents living in the Garabagh economic region of Azerbaijan arrived in Khankendi on the morning of September 12. 

The cargo had been stuck in Azerbaijan's Barda district for 2 days to pass to Khankendi.