Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at a Moscow press conference today, said he is confident that the Lachin Corridor will soon reopen.

“Yesterday or two days ago, a meeting of the representatives of Azerbaijan with   representatives of Karabakh was held with the participation of the command of the Russian personnel. I think that the matter will be settled soon," Lavrov said, adding the Russian military is studying information provided by Azerbaijan alleging Armenia was sending landmines to Karabakh via the roadway.

Lavrov said the November 9, 2020 tripartite statement that ended the 2020 war stipulates that the Lachine Corridor should be free for civilian traffic, freight and vehicles, and "there is a separate agreement that no military cargo will be transported through that route."

Lavrov didn’t rule out the possibility of dispatching a CSTO monitoring mission to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border but said it might be counterproductive without Baku’s consent.

"Despite the fact that we are allies, that the (ed. CSTO) mission is fully ready, the Armenian side prefers to agree with the EU in order to deploy a civilian observer mission there on a long-term basis. It is the border with Azerbaijan, and perhaps, if that mission takes place without Azerbaijan's consent, it may be counterproductive. Instead of strengthening confidence on the border, it can cause additional spasms," said Lavrov.

Lavrov confessed, without further clarification, that “difficulties” exist with CSTO regarding the current situation in Armenia.

Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko / Associated Press