MOSCOW. April 24 (Interfax) - Moscow views unilateral steps toward amending the Lachin corridor's functioning as unacceptable and urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to return to the existing agreements, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"In the context of the latest developments of April 23, we specifically point out that any unilateral steps in violation of the basic provisions of the trilateral statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia of November 9, 2020 are unacceptable, whether it concerns the uncoordinated amendment of the Lachin corridor's functioning regime or attempts to use it for purposes inconsistent with the peaceful agenda," the ministry said in a statement on its website on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry said it was concerned about the situation within the Russian peacekeeping forces' area of responsibility in Nagorno-Karabakh, along the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact, and in dialogue between Baku and Yerevan.
"We are extremely concerned to record a growing number of ceasefire violations and various incidents regularly resulting in casualties on both sides. We also view the increasingly more heated accusative and aggressive rhetoric in Azerbaijan's and Armenia's public environment as dangerous. We urge the parties to immediately return to the existing agreements," the ministry said.
Said problems have resulted from a lack of progress in negotiations on implementing the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the ministry said, adding that it expected Baku and Yerevan to "display political will and manage to overcome these negative trends in the near future."
The Azerbaijani Border Service said on Sunday it set up a checkpoint on the road linking Lachin and Khankendi on the border with Armenia.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement denouncing the checkpoint's installation and calling on Russia to meet its obligations following from the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani statement of November 9, 2020 on unblocking the Lachin corridor and ensuring the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces.