Saturday, August 26 2023 11:22

ArmInfo.As a non-alternative basis for the reconciliation of Yerevan and Baku, we consider a set  of statements by the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia in 2020-2022.

This was reported to ArmInfo by the Russian Foreign Ministry in response to ArmInfo's request to clarify whether Russia plans to initiate a resolution in the UN Security Council regarding the acute humanitarian crisis in Artsakh and the situation around the Lachin (Kashatagh) corridor.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that Moscow will continue to make  every effort to resolve the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as soon as  possible and promote the normalization of relations between the two  friendly states. In this vein, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed  to the stabilizing role of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

"As for the possibility of discussing this issue at the UN Security  Council, we proceed from the preference for a direct dialogue between  the parties without bringing contradictions to global forums, where  the risks of imposing "prescriptions" from outside increase - such  scenarios are, by definition, unviable. Now, more than ever, it is  important to work" on the 'ground'. First of all, we are talking  about the implementation of the initiative of Russian Foreign  Minister Sergei Lavrov on the parallel opening of the Agdam (Akna)  and Lachin routes. This would actually contribute to the improvement  of the humanitarian situation in Nagorno- Karabakh," the Russian  Foreign Ministry expressed conviction.

At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that the  meeting held in the UN Security Council on August 16 confirmed the  justification of such an approach. Moscow noted that many members of  the Council were in favor of observing the aforementioned tripartite  statements.

"There were calls for the continuation of the dialogue between Baku  and Yerevan. By the way, during the meeting, no one mentioned the  need to develop a Security Council resolution. In turn, we will  continue to encourage direct contacts between Baku and Yerevan in  order to find mutually acceptable modalities for bilateral  normalization. We are always ready to provide a negotiation platform  on Russian territory for this," the Russian Foreign Ministry  concluded.

Earlier, there were reports  in the Armenian mass  media that the  United States torpedoed the approval of a certain resolution on the  situation around Artsakh at the last emergency meeting of the UN  Security Council, convened on August 16 at the initiative of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Armenia stated that they had not seen a  draft resolution. In particular, they noted: " At the United Nations  Security Council meeting last Wednesday on the issue of Nagorno-  Karabakh, led by our Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield,  the Council discussed key issues related to the current humanitarian  situation.

We have not seen a draft resolution, and claims that the U.S. is  pressuring member countries not to sign a resolution are completely  false."

It is noteworthy that yesterday Le Figaro reported that France is  preparing to submit to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on  providing assistance to 120,000 residents of Artsakh who are on the  verge of starvation due to the blockade of the Kashatagh corridor by  the Azerbaijanis. "Paris and the main regions of France will send a  humanitarian convoy to Armenia next week," the article says.  The  French Embassy in Armenia, in order to clarify ArmInfo's request  whether it is really planned to initiate a resolution from Paris,  noted that they have nothing to add, except for what French President  Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Le Point.

Earlier, the French leader condemned the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh  organized by Azerbaijan. He stated that the time allotted for  diplomacy on the Artsakh issue had expired. "Our position is clear:  we regret and condemn. But this is not the time for diplomacy. We  have always stated that we stand for the sovereignty of peoples," the  French leader stressed.

The French leader also emphasized the role of Paris in the Nagorno  Karabakh issue, which seeks to guarantee humanitarian access, but  refused to qualifythe crimes committed against Armenians as  "genocide". "The humanitarian situation, in particular in the Lachin  corridor, is unacceptable. "France's role is to continue to press for  humanitarian access, and we continue to make every effort to achieve  that goal," Macron said.