First round of talks between the Nagorno-Karabakh separatists and ethnic Turks in the region of Stepanakert
The Nagorno-Karabakh region was damaged by a powerful blast on Monday evening, when ethnic Armenians fled after the Azeri military regained full control of it.
The explosion near Stepanakert injured more than 200 people, according to the Nagorno-Karabukh human rights ombudsman. It was not clear what caused the blast, which happened as people lined up to get fuel for their cars to leave the region.
Most of the victims were in a poor condition and had to be flown out of the country for medical treatment. There was not a lot of information immediately available.
Last week, the Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist authorities agreed to lay down weapons and start talks on “reintegration” into Azeri rule after being routed by the army in a single day.
While Azerbaijan has pledged to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and restore supplies after a 10-month blockade, many local residents feared reprisals and decided to leave for Armenia.
Russian peacekeepers have been in the region since 2020, when a Russian-brokered armistice ended a six-week war between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Dozens of people were lining up at the fuel facility where the blast occurred because they had been promised fuel — a scarcity during the blockade — for their cars in order to move to Armenia, according to Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist authorities.
Hours after the second round of talks between the officials of the Nagorno-Karasakh and the representatives of the ethnic Turks took place, an explosion took place in a town north of the capital. The first round was held last week. The talks were held in a good atmosphere and centered on humanitarian aid to the region and medical service, according to the presidential office.
The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said on Monday that two of their soldiers were killed on Sunday when a military truck hit a land mine. It didn’t name the area where the explosion occurred.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s alleged failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh
In an address to the nation Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his government was working with international partners to protect the rights and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
If the efforts don’t produce results, the government will welcome sisters and brothers from Nagorno- Karabukh with open arms.
Demonstrators demanding Pashinyan’s resignation over what they call his failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh continued blocking the Armenian capital’s main avenues Monday, clashing occasionally with police.
The people of Armenia believed the peacekeepers failed to prevent hostilities and protect their population. Moscow rejected the accusations, arguing that its forces had no legal grounds to intervene, particularly after Pashinyan’s recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.
“We are categorically against attempts to put the blame on the Russian side, especially the Russian peacekeepers, who have shown a true heroism,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. The areas of Nagorno-Karabangh that were taken back by Azerbaijani forces during the war in 2020 were areas that had been taken by Armenia in the earlier conflict.
In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the region’s separatist forces.
France, which has a big Armenian diaspora, has for decades played a mediating role in Nagorno-Karabakh. A group of people staged a protest outside the French Foreign Ministry over the weekend, demanding sanctions against Azerbaijan and accusing Paris of not doing enough to protect their interests in the region.
In an interview with French television, President Emanuel said that France was particularly vigilant about the territorial integrity of Armenia because it was at stake.
Russia has supported and supported Armenia, but it has sought to maintain friendly ties with another country, including that of Azerbaijan. But Moscow’s clout in the region has waned quickly amid the Russian war in Ukraine while the influence of Azerbaijan’s top ally Turkey has increased.
Erdogan arrived in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on Monday for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss Turkey-Azerbaijan ties and regional and global issues. Nakhchivan is cut off from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory but forms a slim border with Turkey.
The Turkish leader said “I am very pleased to be here with all of you, as we connect Nakhchivan with the Turkish world” after he and Aliyev signed a deal.
Peskov expressed hope that the visit would “contribute to the regional security and help adjust the lifestyle in Karabakh.”
The head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Sam Power, made a trip to Armenia on Monday toaffirm the U.S. support for the country’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and democracy. The acting assistant secretary for Europe and aeAsia affairs was with her.
The United States is very concerned by reports on the humanitarian conditions in Nagorno- Karabakh, and for unimpeded access for international humanitarian organizations and commercial traffic.
At the United Nations, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that the world organization is concerned about the influx of people into Armenia. “If we are, as the U.N., given access, we stand ready to conduct humanitarian needs assessment and provide assistance to affected people,” he said. He said that the U.N. was focusing on possible humanitarian assistance at the moment.