ISTANBUL

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday discussed the current situation in his country’s Karabakh region with Igor Khovaev, Russia’s special envoy on normalization of ties between Baku and Yerevan.

“During the meeting, the sides discussed the situation in the region, as well as the opening of Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads,” the Azerbaijani presidency said in a statement following the meeting between Aliyev and Khovaev in the capital Baku.

The statement further said Aliyev told Khovaev that representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh refused to visit Baku or other cities in Azerbaijan, despite his invitation to hold discussions on reintegration.

Khovaev, for his part, said that Russia would continue its efforts for the “normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and ensuring lasting peace in the region,” it added.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russia-brokered peace agreement.

Despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement, tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia rose in recent months over the Lachin road, the only land route giving Armenia access to the Karabakh region, where Azerbaijan established a border checkpoint in April on the grounds of preventing the illegal transport of military arms and equipment to the region.

Since then, Yerevan has accused Azerbaijan of causing a “humanitarian crisis” in the region. Baku has vehemently denied Armenia’s claims and has proposed the use of the Aghdam-Khankendi road for shipments to the region.