Lavrov: Russian peacekeeping force in Karabakh “no longer concerns Armenia”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has declared again that the West is trying to oust Russia from the process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Speaking at a press conference in New York, Lavrov recalled that several Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian documents have been agreed upon at the highest level, which he said define the key parameters of the settlement, including border delimitation, unblocking trade and transport routes and signing of a peace treaty.

“Lately we have seen how, after all these agreements were achieved, our Western colleagues decided that it was somehow wrong that Russia was managing to achieve progress in this area. They began to lure Armenians and Azerbaijanis to Brussels, then to Paris, then to Washington, then to Prague. By the way, in the Czech Republic in 2022, the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a document stating that he recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the 1991 borders,” Lavrov said.

“This means that the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (as Karabakh was then called) is an integral part of Azerbaijan. This came as a surprise to us. Before this, various options for a final solution to the problem of the status of Karabakh were discussed, but the Prime Minister of Armenia did it on his own. Since then, the question of status, of what Karabakh is, has been closed.”

Lavrov reminded that Russian peacekeepers who first deployed in Karabakh in 2020 and were supposed to ensure the safety of Armenians are still there.

“This issue no longer concerns the Armenian side,” he added.

This is a matter of bilateral relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. The presidents discussed this topic, they agreed that at this stage the presence of Russian peacekeepers plays a positive role in strengthening stability, trust in the region and facilitating the return of Karabakh residents who want to do so.”