The residents of Artsakh's Martakert town have blocked in a protest an Azerbaijani convoy heading towards Qarvachar region escorted by Russian peacekeepers. Facebook user Armen Ishkhanyan has posted a video from the scene. One of the locals presented the demands of the protesters to the representative of the peacekeepers. He first thanked the peacekeepers for their mission and presented their demands, informing about the peaceful nature of the initiative.
He recalled the provision of the November 9 trilateral statement, calling for unblocking all communications in the region. He informed the provision is not being implemented since the roadway from Martakert to Vardenis is closed for the Armenian population, while the Azerbaijani vehicles can freely pass through the road to Qarvachar region. The protesters handed over a petition signed by the locals, asking for a solution to the matter. They noted that if Armenians are not permitted to use the roadway to go to Vardenis, they would prevent Azeris from using the road to travel to Qarvachar and will periodically stage protests and close the road.
The representative of the Russian peacekeepers informed that their mission is to ensure the peace in Artsakh and the unimpeded operation of communications routes. The representative of the Russian contingent promised to pass the petition to relevant bodies and raise the voice of Martakert residents. They also informed that the Azerbaijani convoy was transferring construction workers and civilians.