Russian MP: The key issue underlying the Karabakh issue - namely, the  status of Artsakh has not been resolved

ArmInfo.The key issue underlying the Nagorno-Karabakh issue - namely, the status of Artsakh has not been resolved. This was stated on May 25 during an online  press conference by the lawmaker of the State Duma of Russia, the  first deputy chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian  Integration and Relations with Compatriots, head of the Institute of  CIS Countries Konstantin Zatulin, adding that now, more or less, an  agreement to terminate fighting is being observed.

He recalled that if earlier Yerevan and Stepanakert proceeded from  the fact that the status issue would have to be resolved as a result  of agreements with Azerbaijan, according to which part of the regions  would be transferred to Baku in exchange for recognition of the  independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. "So now we understand that these  areas were given to Azerbaijan in exchange for a ceasefire. I believe  that today it is very difficult to approach the issue of Artsakh's  status due to the state of Armenia. I believe that the decision of  the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh within the demands put forward by  Azerbaijan - namely, territorial integrity within the borders of not  even Azerbaijan, but the Azerbaijan SSR is not appropriate, "he said,  while calling the recognition of Azerbaijan in the territories of the  Azerbaijan SSR hasty at the time, since at the time of the collapse  of the USSR, Azerbaijan no longer owned Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to him, in this situation, it would be right for Azerbaijan  to recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, instead of  continuing the conflict and sowing hatred. He stated that in case of  a referendum in Artsakh, at least the population of Nagorno-Karabakh  would have spoken for independence, which Azerbaijan perfectly  understood and therefore opposed a peaceful settlement of the  conflict.  "Therefore, Azerbaijan decided on a military revenge. And  they benefited from fact that after the velvet revolution in Armenia,  a certain distrust arose between the RA and the Russian Federation.   This is what Azerbaijan and Turkey took advantage of," the MP said.

Clarifying, in his opinion, whether Armenia is ready today for a  dialogue with Azerbaijan, Zatulin expressed his conviction that this  is a double-edged sword. "This is a question for both Armenia and  Azerbaijan. Maybe even more for Azerbaijan, since Baku is on a wave  of euphoria with both military and diplomatic successes. Otherwise,  it would not have taken those actions on the RA border (invasion of  sovereign territory - ed. note), namely, attempts to achieve all  kinds of unilateral advantages. I don't think that Azerbaijan will  stop these attempts. I don't think that Azerbaijan's ally in this  matter, Turkey, will not inspire him to do this, as it inspired this  operation itself (aggression against Artsakh - ed.) and took a direct  part in it.  As for Armenia, any serious negotiations are possible  after the internal political situation is clarified, that is, after  June 20, "Zatulin summed up.