Lachin border checkpoint deemed step towards full security of S Caucasus

The measures that Azerbaijan implemented in the last 5 years are very important in the history of the country. The lands of Garabagh, which remained under Armenian occupation for 30 years, were returned in 2020 after the 44-day patriotic war.

Further to all of these, separatists who created a so-called state in Garabagh were arrested as a result of local anti-terrorist measures held in 2023. Thus, most of the problems caused by the Armenian crime were eliminated.

One of the most memorable events after the second Garabagh War was the establishment of a border checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin road. It is no coincidence that checkpoint caused great concern to Armenia last year.

But what are the main advantages of this station? Why did the Lachin border checkpoint frighten the Armenians?

Military expert Emin Hasanli, touching on the subject in his comment for Azernews, considered the construction of this station a successful step for Azerbaijan's history towards its full sovereignty and security of the region.

"Establishing the Lachin border checkpoint was a very successful step towards ensuring security in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region as a whole. President Ilham Aliyev touched on this issue several times in his speeches and noted its importance".

The expert drew attention to the military importance of the station. He said that Lachin border checkpoint played a major role in the arrest of separatists in Garabagh.

"The border checkpoint of Lachin was important for the anti-terrorist measures. As a result of the presence of station some terrorists were detained in so-called Arsakh. One of them was Vagif Khachaturyan, who committed several acts of vandalism against Azerbaijan."

The military expert said that the station prevented many insidious plans of Armenia.

"This station made it possible to take full control of Armenia's connection with Garabagh. Until then, Armenians provided arms to the separatists."

Emin Hasanli recalled the first Garabagh war. He said that the Armenians were planning to attack Garabagh again by taking secret steps as before.

"Even after the Second Garabagh War, Armenian authorities thought that it would be able to repeat the provocations and attacks it carried out in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, as a result of the policy of the President of Azerbaijan, these plans failed."

The expert also emphasized the importance of the local anti-terrorist operation in 2023.

"In September 2023, one-day local anti-terrorist measures were implemented. This was a unique step in world military history. In less than a day, terrorists and separatists were neutralized and they were removed from Garabagh at once. Each of these operations has a very important place in the history of Azerbaijan."

Recall that the border checkpoint was established in exercise of Azerbaijan’s inherent right to safeguard its sovereignty and security, to prevent the consistent and blatant abuse by Armenia of this route for illegal military and other activities, such as rotation of its some 10,000 military personnel, illegally stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan, transfer of weaponry, ammunition, landmines and terrorists of foreign nationals thereto, as well as unlawful extraction and transfer of natural resources from this territory.

It is worth noting that today the government of Azerbaijan has ensured its territorial integrity and is already discussing peace and normalization processes with Armenia.

The withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Garabagh and Armenia's agreement to return 4 villages of Gazakh to Azerbaijan are the main indicators of the peace that will be signed in the region.