Monday, December 7 2020 15:48

ArmInfo.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in his welcoming address during the start of negotiations with his Armenian counterpart Ara Aivazian, appreciated  the fact that the Armenian Foreign Minister made his first foreign  visit to Moscow.

"Of course, we know that today is the sad anniversary of the Spitak  earthquake and once again we offer our condolences. And we remember  how widely we responded to this tragedy in the Soviet Union, and we  hope that today the collective readiness to respond to such kind of  natural disasters is much higher and we hope that there will be as  few of them as possible," the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry  said.

At the same time, he noted with regret that cataclysms due to human  activity are much more common. In this regard, Lavrov noted that  today the way out of the hot phase of the conflict over  Nagorno-Karabakh is simply being implemented.

"I would like to note that today, everyone must accept the validity  of the trilateral declaration signed by the leaders of Armenia,  Azerbaijan and Russia, which ended the war, secured agreements  allowing refugees and internally displaced persons to return to their  homes.

"I would like to note that today everyone must recognize the  importance of that trilateral agreement, signed on November 9 by the  leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, which ended the war and  ensured agreements allowing refugees and internally displaced persons  to return to their homes and also ensured the agreements for the  restoration of the economy, the solution of humanitarian problems. We  agreed to unblock all communications, both economic and transport.  Thus, we can ensure the transformation of the South Caucasus from a  region of contradictions into a region of stability and prosperity in  the interests of all peoples living there. We will do our best to  promote this, "the Russian minister said.

At the same time, Lavrov stated that Russian peacekeepers interact in  every possible way with the population in their area of  responsibility, help the return of refugees, help mine clearance,  provide medical assistance to the population and resolve other  humanitarian issues.

He recalled the creation of a joint humanitarian response center in  close contact with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, and expressed  Russia's support for the activities of international organizations in  this region, which are ready to contribute their experience,  resources and potential to the restoration of peaceful life. In this  regard, he noted that as a step in this direction, Russia decided to  contribute 2 million euros in addition as a one-time voluntary  contribution to the budget of the International Committee of the Red  Cross, which has long been present in Armenia, Azerbaijan and  Stepanakert.

"The most important issue is the exchange of prisoners of war. We  will do our best to promote its early completion through our  peacekeepers. We know how acute this is for the relatives, friends  and relatives of those who were captured. And, of course, the  exchange of bodies of the dead is also a very emotional side of the  issue, and we also hope to resolve this issue soon," the diplomat  said.

At the same time, he expressed his conviction that today's meeting is  a good opportunity not only to discuss the implementation of the  agreements of November 9, but also the state of bilateral allied  strategic partnership relations.

In turn, Aivazian noted that the choice of the country for the first  visit fully corresponds to the depth of the Armenian-Russian allied  relations.

"The large-scale war unleashed against the people of Artsakh by  Azerbaijan, with undisguised support from the outside and with the  active involvement of terrorist militants from the Middle East, has  become a new shock. Taking this opportunity, I would like to once  again express my gratitude to the Russian side for its contribution  and efforts to achieve a complete ceasefire and military operations  in the conflict zone. In the current situation, including at the  regional level, assessments and decisions are required, the  implementation of which we see through the prism of consolidating  society and the entire Armenian people. Clarity of functioning of  state institutions of Armenia - a country with a dynamic economy and  a high level of defense capability," the RA FM said.

At the same time, he added that today he expects to continue the  discussions that began at the end of November in Yerevan during the  visit of the Russian interdepartmental delegation, in particular, on  such issues as the functioning of the Russian peacekeeping mission,  ensuring the return of refugees, providing humanitarian assistance,  logistic issues, including restoration of destroyed infrastructures.

At the same time, the Armenian minister stressed the sensitivity and  the need for an early solution to such issues as the search for  missing persons, the return of prisoners of war and the exchange of  bodies of dead servicemen. "This is especially relevant in the light  of the numerous and confirmed facts of the barbaric treatment of  Armenian prisoners of war and not only. These issues include the  preservation of Armenian religious and cultural sites," the Armenian  Foreign Minister said.