Response by Aykhan Hajizada, MFA Spokesperson to the questions of the local media regarding the passage of cargo dispatched by the Russian Red Cross Society via the Aghdam-Khankendi road, as well as simultaneous use of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin roads

Question: On September 12, 2023, the passage of food and non-food products dispatched by the Russian Red Cross Society via the Aghdam-Khankendi road was ensured. How would you comment this development? At the same time, what is the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the current issue of simultaneous use of the Agdam-Khankendi and Lachin roads?

Response: As it is known, today, the Russian Red Cross Society’s truck was provided with passage to Khankendi in coordination with the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society via the Aghdam-Khankendi road. Against the backdrop of obstructions and provocations of the puppet regime created by Armenia in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, we consider the passage of the cargo dispatched by the Russian Red Cross Society in coordination with Azerbaijan through the Aghdam-Khankendi road as a positive step and important progress towards the opening of this road.

Coming to the issue of simultaneous use of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin roads, as Azerbaijan noted during high-level contacts with the United States and other partners, we agreed upon the simultaneous use of these two roads through the ICRC. Unfortunately, the party preventing the implementation of this agreement is the puppet regime created by Armenia in the Garabagh region.

We declare once again that Azerbaijan, in parallel with the utilization of the Aghdam-Khankendi road, is ready to ensure necessary conditions for the transportation of goods through the ICRC with the customs and border procedures at the Lachin border checkpoint being observed.