Armenia Not Criticizing Russian Peacekeepers But Expressing Concern - Prime Minister

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday that Yerevan's statements concerning Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh are an expression of not criticism but concern about ongoing insecurity in the region

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2023) Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Tuesday that Yerevan's statements concerning Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh are an expression of not criticism but concern about ongoing insecurity in the region.

"We do not criticize the Russian peacekeepers, we express concern over the peacekeepers' actions," Pashinyan said at a press conference.

He said Yerevan has informed Moscow that Baku is allegedly carrying out a campaign aimed at discrediting the Russian peacekeepers.

Since December 12, the road, which connects Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh but runs de jure through the Lachin district of Azerbaijan, has been blocked by a group of people from Azerbaijan described by state media as environmental activists protesting alleged Armenian illegal mining in the area.

Pashinyan has urged the Russian peacekeepers to ensure that the blockade is lifted, saying that the failure to do so would be a violation of their obligations under a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia between Armenia and Azerbaijan after a 1.5-month armed conflict in 2020. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied any breach of obligations by the peacekeepers.