Lachin

Lachin (Azerbaijani: Laçın; Armenian: Բերձոր, Berdzor) is a city located in Azerbaijan, currently under the control of Russian peacekeepers as part of the ceasefire agreement following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Historically, the area surrounding Lachin was a point of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan. During the Soviet era, it was part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. The town is situated within the Lachin District of Azerbaijan, which lies between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Lachin corridor, a mountain pass connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, was of significant strategic importance during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in the early 1990s. The corridor, including the city of Lachin, fell under Armenian control in 1992, establishing a land link between Armenia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).

Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War and the resulting ceasefire agreement, the Lachin corridor, including the city of Lachin, was placed under the protection of Russian peacekeepers. The agreement stipulated the construction of a new route for the Lachin corridor, bypassing the city of Lachin. This new route was completed and became operational in August 2022. Subsequently, Azerbaijani forces took control of the city of Lachin.

The population of Lachin was predominantly Kurdish and Azerbaijani prior to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. During Armenian control, the city was repopulated primarily by Armenians. After the return of Azerbaijani control, the Armenian population largely left, and efforts are underway to resettle Azerbaijani citizens in the city. The status of the region remains a subject of international concern and ongoing negotiations.