Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin has described the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as “long-standing and sensitive”, maintaining that such situations can’t go without problems “on the ground”.

In an Izvestia interview published one minute into Thursday, May 4, Galuzin said it was first of all thanks to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin that the conflict was “extinguished” in November 2020.

A statement was signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 9, 2020 on a ceasefire, as well as the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh.

“[The statement] is about moving forward through dialogue in four main areas: unblocking transport and economic ties in the region, dialogue with the aim of concluding a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, delimitation of the border between the two countries and establishing ties through public and parliamentary lines, without which it is difficult to speak on the full normalization of bilateral relations. The main elements of the settlement, namely a ceasefire and the formulation of key directions for moving towards the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, all these principles were formulated and began to be implemented solely thanks to the mediation of Russia and its president. This in itself is already a significant achievement,” the diplomat said.

“All these years, Russia has been trying to make concrete practical efforts in four areas, and serious potential and foundations for further advancement have been built up in each of them. If you really look at things, it is clear that the solution of such long-standing and sensitive conflict situations, as what is happening in Nagorno-Karabakh, cannot go without some rough edges and problems “on the ground”.