Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Moscow has no plans to impose any solution to resolve the enduring dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Lavrov’s remarks followed yet another unsuccessful meeting between high-ranking officials from both former Soviet countries, as they struggled to reach a lasting peace treaty.
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh has resulted in two wars within the past three decades. In a six-week campaign last year, Azerbaijan managed to regain control of significant portions of territory that had been held by Armenia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“We anticipate that the negotiation process will continue,” stated Lavrov on the Russian Foreign Ministry website, following talks with his Armenian and Azeri counterparts in Moscow. He emphasized the importance of not artificially imposing agreements that do not consider the interests of the Armenian and Azeri peoples, merely for the sake of sensational headlines or geopolitical and domestic policy considerations.
Several meetings between Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashiynyan, organized by Russia, the United States, and the European Union, have failed to address key issues.
Russian peacekeepers continue to be present in the region under the terms of a 2020 truce brokered by Moscow. However, clashes along the border occur frequently, and both sides regularly exchange harsh criticisms.
Lavrov acknowledged that the issues surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh are incredibly complex. The region has long been internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, despite the majority of its 120,000 residents being ethnic Armenians.
One of the obstacles to reaching a resolution is providing guarantees for the identity and needs of Karabakh’s residents. Additionally, Armenia opposes an Azeri checkpoint that restricts the movement of people and supplies to Karabakh through an area known as the Lachin corridor.
Other matters that need to be resolved include the establishment of post-independence borders and the determination of transport corridors passing through each country’s territory.
In a statement released after the latest talks, Armenia’s foreign ministry called for the immediate opening of the Lachin corridor and for the rights and security of Karabakh’s residents to be taken into consideration.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
