Self-declared Azerbaijani environmentalists evidently sent there by government in Baku - Thomas de Waal

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe, scholar on Caucasus, Thomas de Waal, has commented on the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan, which is the only road connecting Artsakh and Armenia.

“Situation gets worse with reports of gas cut-off to Armenians of Karabakh - - a manufactured humanitarian crisis. And the Western reaction and alarm is getting stronger”, Thomas de Waal tweeted.

Thomas de Waal has expressed his concerns that the Armenian-Azerbaijani situation may be sliding slowly back into conflict.

“Self-declared Azerbaijani environmentalists evidently sent there by the government in Baku (Azerbaijan’s version of “Little Green Men”?) have been blocking the Lachin road and therefore access in and out for local Armenians”, he said.

According to the British scholar, this year’s EU-brokered talks have made progress. “Both sides have talked about signing a peace treaty. But there’s still no agreement on the future of the Karabakh Armenians. And Azerbaijan, now the dominant side, has shown it will use force to try and get concessions.

President Aliyev does, I believe, want a peace agreement, not a new war, but it looks as though he also wants concessions which the Armenian side says it cannot meet. A big risk that we get serious new outbreak of violence by default”, he stated.