ArmInfo. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov considers emotional statements on Karabakh counterproductive. Speaking at a large final press conference on January 18, the Russian Minister noted that some statements by Armenian officials probably cause tension.
"I think it would be better to avoid this. Before the 44-day war began, we witnessed emotional statements made from Karabakh, or about Karabakh -" new war, new territories. "The words can become material. In this case, words from different sides have become a very negative material force, "Lavrov added. That is why now very much attention is paid to establishing contacts between the leaderships of Armenia and Azerbaijan, creating an environment of trust, and this was another of the important meanings of the meeting in Moscow with the participation of the leaders of the three countries. Russia hopes that emotions will be sidelined.
He also stressed that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh was deliberately not mentioned in the November 9 trilateral statement. The status problem is controversial, and it was decided to bypass this issue and leave it for the future. According to him, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who will again visit the region in the near future, should deal with this issue.
"The territory where the peacekeeping mission is deployed is the zone of responsibility of the peacekeeping contingent. We proceed from this in our contacts with Yerevan and Baku. Now the details of organizing transport communications and rendering humanitarian assistance are being worked out," the Minister added. Russia is interested in international organizations, including UNESCO, the UN, working in Karabakh, providing assistance to the local population.
However, during the discussion of aid, questions arise due to controversies around the status. It was because of these contradictions between Yerevan and Baku that the three leaders decided to bypass this issue. The problem of status, as the Minister noted, can be solved the easier, the sooner on earth the assurances about the improvement of the daily life of all communities are fulfilled. At the same time, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the question of cutting off Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia never arose.
"No one has ever denied Armenia's connection with Karabakh, throughout all the decades of negotiations there has never been a question of cutting off Armenia and Karabakh from each other. And that is why the Lachin corridor as a concept was not rejected by anyone, and it is still the subject of agreement parties, including the consent of our Azerbaijani neighbors," Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister recalled that the agreements between Moscow, Baku and Yerevan dated November 9 last year recorded the agreement of the parties to ensure communication between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor, which will be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Lavrov noted that the agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh are being implemented quite effectively.
"This is an assessment of both President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan," he added. At the same time, he noted that the pending issue of prisoners of war is an exception.