YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS. MEP Lars Patrick Berg is convinced that the Azerbaijani authorities will accept international norms only if they are forced to do so. in this regard, he considers it a primary step for the EU to abandon the gas deal with Azerbaijan, the MEP told ARMENPRESS, referring to another provocation by Azerbaijan, the incident of closing the only highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia.

“These constant provocations must stop immediately. I call upon the European institutions and the international community to express their deepest concerns about this recent incident which is harmful to all the ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts”, the MEP said.

The MEP emphasized that now is the time to de-escalate the tension. According to him, they have to accept that the authorities of Azerbaijan will accept international norms only if they are forced to do so. "Perhaps, our first step is to abandon the gas deal," emphasized Lars Patrick Berg. “Perhaps our first move is to repudiate the gas deal”, Lars Patrick Berg emphasized.

On December 3. it became known that a group of Azerbaijanis in civilian clothes closed the Stepanakert-Goris highway with environmental pretext at the intersection of Shushi-Karintak. Artsakh's information headquarters reported that it is obvious that with this, Azerbaijan is resorting to provocation in order to interrupt the land connection between Armenia and Artsakh and subject the civilian population to psychological terror.

The command staff of the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in Artsakh were negotiating with the Azerbaijani side on opening the Stepanakert-Goris highway.

The negotiations with the Azerbaijani side, which lasted more than three hours, gave a positive result. The only highway connecting Artsakh to Armenia is bi-directionally open for all types of vehicles.

Anna Grigoryan