Baku partially restores natural gas supply to Artsakh

YEREVAN, February 15. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan has partially restored natural gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) that it had blocked on February 8.

"Given the insufficient volume of natural gas, for the time being it will be supplied to subscribers residing in the capital Stepanakert. After ensuring sufficient gas pressure late in the evening gas supply to gas stations in the capital and regional centers will be restored," the Artsakh Information Center said.

During the moe than 2-month blockade of Artsakh, Azerbaijan cut off gas supplies to Artsakh on December 13, 2022 for three days, on 17 January 2023 for a day, on 18 January for a day, on January 21 for four days and on January 28 for a day.

On December 12, Azerbaijan effectively cut off access to Nagorno-Karabakh, letting a group of self-described Azerbaijani “eco-activists” with no history of environmental advocacy barge through Russian peacekeepers to block the sole road linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.

Local authorities had to close schools and put 120,000 inhabitants on ration cards as Azerbaijan continues to disrupt gas and electricity supplies amid sub-zero temperatures.

Armenia’s leaders accuse Azerbaijan of seeking to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh by starving the local ethnic Armenian population and forcing it to leave.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said in a January 10 TV interview: 'For those (of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians) who does not want to become Azerbaijani citizen, the road is not closed. They can leave. They can go on their own, or they can ride with Russian peacekeepers, or they can go by bus. The road to Armenia is open.” -0-