Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of blocking vital transport routes to Nakhchivan

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has accused Armenia of deliberately obstructing transportation routes between Azerbaijan’s main territory and its Nakhchivan exclave, further complicating efforts to normalize relations between the two Caucasus neighbors.

“Armenia putting forward proposals for essentially unnecessary, complex to execute, and practically lengthy routes serves to divert attention away from the process and obligations,” said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada in a statement Tuesday.

Hajizada’s comments came in direct response to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent claim that Baku has not responded to Armenia’s proposals on opening transport communications between the two countries.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an Azerbaijani exclave, remains physically separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by Armenian territory, creating a longstanding point of contention between the two nations.

“It is well known that Armenia, having occupied Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized sovereign territories for nearly 30 years and causing the blockade of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, has not made a positive contribution to the real negotiation process for the opening of communications in the four years following the 44-day Patriotic War,” Hajizada added.

Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of failing to comply written agreements

The spokesman emphasized that despite Armenia’s awareness of its “written and signed obligations regarding the opening of communications,” it has failed to take concrete action.

“If the Armenian side is genuinely interested in the opening of communications in the region, it should not evade its obligations and must take practical steps in line with the new regional realities,” he said.

The dispute occurs against the backdrop of decades of tension that began in 1991 when Armenian forces occupied Karabakh—territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan—and seven surrounding regions.

Azerbaijan reclaimed most of these territories during a 44-day conflict in 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement. This ceasefire established the framework for ongoing normalization and border demarcation discussions between the two countries.

The process reached a significant milestone in September 2023 when Azerbaijan established full sovereignty over Karabakh following the surrender of separatist forces in the region.

Transportation routes between Azerbaijan proper and Nakhchivan remain a critical element in peace negotiations, with potential implications for regional trade and stability in the South Caucasus.