The international reaction to Azerbaijan's blocking of Artsakh's only road to the outside world must turn into pressure, Acting Artsakh Foreign Minister David Babayan told repoters.

"There are a lot of responses, the so-called first stage of response, but after that we need to move to concrete action. In order for Azerbaijan to stop this genocidal step, there must be political pressure, this pressure we do not see yet. To all appearances, Azerbaijan is also slapping the international community in the face," David Babayan said. The minister reiterated that Russian peacekeepers should be given an international status.

"The 1980 peacekeepers are not enough, it is a symbolic figure. It is necessary that the number of peacekeepers increases, the more the better. There are 10 to 15 peacekeepers on the approaches to Shusha. Give them an international mandate, so they have the right to enforce peace, as they do in Kosovo, in Bosnia. If an international mandate is given, no one will be able to come and block the road. If someone shows up unannounced, they can open fire. It is this kind of mandate that can be a deterrent for Azerbaijan," Babayan noted.

According to him, Artsakh applied to this issue and also informed its Western colleagues. The initiative is met with understanding.

"Now we appeal to the UN and demand intervention and suppression of Azerbaijan's aggression. A corresponding letter is in circulation at the UN," the minister said.