President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has said that his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev made a financial proposal – through him – to Armenia at some point. According to Lukashenko, Aliyev had allegedly proposed to restore Karabakh and "raise Armenia" if Yerevan agreed to peacefully settle the conflict, RIA Novosti reports.

Lukashenko paid a working visit to Baku on April 13-14, where he held talks with Aliyev. Following the meeting, the two presidents answered journalists' questions.

"Of course, when I am no longer president, I will tell a lot of good things about what Ilham Heydarovich (Heydar Aliyev was Ilham Aliyev's father - Ed.) proposed to the Armenian people and the leaders of Armenia in order to resolve this conflict," Lukashenko told reporters.

"One of the proposals was when he told me: "Listen, tell the Armenians, you are on good terms with them, I am ready to restore not only Karabakh, but also raise Armenia... I won't even name the amount that I am ready to pay right away. Tell them to settle this issue peacefully," Lukashenka said about his earlier conversation with Aliyev.

An audio recording from a conversation between former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Lukashenko about the settlement of the Karabakh conflict leaked online in December 2020. In the audiotape published by the Telegram Channel Baghramyan 26, Lukashenko is heard claiming that Azerbaijan "has offered $5 billion" to Armenia for the implementation of "the first phase" of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.