Monday, July 17 2017 14:19

ArmInfo.Russia is trying to organize a meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, by the end of this year. Moscow  became the main mediator in this matter, as attempts by the other  co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group on Karabakh (USA and France) to seize  the representatives of Baku and Yerevan failed at the negotiating  table. This was reported to Izvestia by a high-ranking source at the  Russian Foreign Ministry.

According to the source, familiar with the course of Nagorno-Karabakh  settlement, Moscow deals with organization of a meeting between the  leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "This is the only thing we are  participating in. The French tried to get Yerevan and Baku to sit at  the negotiating table, but it did not bring any benefit, while  maintaining the dialogue is of fundamental importance, which is why a  full-scale war did not break out in the region, still different, "the  interlocutor   in the foreign affairs department of Russia said.

The head of Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and  relations with compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov believes that the  summit is now more urgent than ever. "It's not just necessary, it's  very necessary, and we do not have to run around in different formats  and sites, consult with countries that are 10,000 km from the  region." The neighbors need to agree, and in this sense, we need to  strengthen coordination with Moscow. Which is why I welcome such   meeting, but this will give a positive impetus, I advocate the speedy  conduct of negotiations between the leaders of Azerbaijan and  Armenia, first of all, these countries, " Russian parliamentarian  Izvestia told.  On July 11, Russian MFA leader Sergey Lavrov held  meetings with his Azerbaijani and Armenian colleagues Elmar  Mammedyarow and Edward Nalbandian. The consultations took place in  Austrian Mauerbach on the margins of informal meeting of the foreign  ministers of OSCE countries.

Meanwhile, Armenian Foreign Ministry highly appreciated Russia's  mediation efforts and noted the importance of the negotiation  process. <Izvestia> official representative of the diplomatic mission  Tigran Balayan said. "Armenia has never refused to negotiate and  meet, since negotiations are the only way to settle, it is worth  mentioning that it was thanks to Russia's efforts that the  painstaking work of Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov 23 years ago  managed to achieve the establishment of a ceasefire regime. The co-  chairs, with Russia's most active participation, initiated hundreds  of meetings at the level of heads of state, foreign ministers,  "Tigran Balayan said.

In Azerbaijan, too, they do not see insurmountable obstacles for  organizing a meeting of the two leaders. A member of the committee on  international relations and inter-parliamentary relations of the  country's parliament, Nazim Asim Mollazade, told Izvestia that  negotiations would be held if their agenda was clearly formulated.  "If there is something to discuss, the meeting of the presidents will  take place, but I would not expect any great results from it."  Negotiations on the status quo, withdrawal of troops from the  territory of Karabakh, the conversation will be pointless. Russia to  the negotiation process, "the Azerbaijani parliamentarian said.