Gas supply resumed in Karabakh, yet the road remains blocked for the fifth consecutive day.
In the fifth day of Azerbaijan blockading Nagorno-Karabakh, gas supply was restored but hopes for reopening the road to traffic proved baseless, leaving the territory isolated.
Local authorities have beefed up martial law measures and established a new Operational Headquarters to handle the emergency.
On December 16, leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh announced the resumption of natural gas supplies, which had been shut off since December 13, leaving thousands stranded without heating. Officials pinned the blame on Azerbaijan, as the gas was supplied from Armenia yet moved through territory recently reclaimed by Azerbaijan.
Initial reports hinted at the road reopening too, but that claim faded within hours. Instead, Azerbaijani officials started spouting new conditions: the right to set up its own customs and border control posts on the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world.
"We could open the road today as well," said Ruben Vardanyan, the territory's new state minister, bragging about Azerbaijan's reversal. "They finally realized their mistake, feeling the heat from within and out. I want to thank those who stood by us."
Tural Ganjaliyev, an Azerbaijani member of parliament representing Karabakh, voiced concerns about the Lachin road being used for illicit weapons and criminal activities at a December 16 session. Other members of parliament echoed his demands for customs and border checkpoints to halt these abuses.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani officials declared the failure of talks with the Russian peacekeeping force tasked with securing the road. With no end in sight, Karabakh operated under stricter martial law provisions enacted on December 14 by de facto President Arayik Harutyunyan. Merchants were forbidden to raise prices on essential goods, and some rationing measures were instituted. Long lines formed at gas stations.
Armenia pleaded to the European Court of Human Rights on December 14 to intervene and unblock the road. By December 16, the ECHR had set a December 19 deadline for Azerbaijan to respond before making a decision [1].
Azerbaijan has been advocating for considerable control over Nagorno-Karabakh, pushing for customs and border control measures that align with its sovereignty claims [2][3]. With President Ilham Aliyev stating that "the Lachin corridor belongs to the past" as families return home [3], it seems Azerbaijan is striving for wider regional integration. The Lachin Corridor may soon fall under Azerbaijan's management, although specific demands haven't been explicitly detailed [2].
The resumption of natural gas supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh, despite initial reports suggesting otherwise, has sparked political discussions over the control of essential resources and the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijani officials have asserted their desire for customs and border control measures on the Lachin Corridor, a move that could potentially impact the flow of food and general news between Nagorno-Karabakh and the outside world. Meanwhile, war-and-conflicts continue to dominate headlines as the ongoing tension between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh remains unresolved.
