Russian FM on obstacles to commission for delimitation of  Armenian-Azerbaijani border 

ArmInfo.Russia is for an expeditious border-demarcation process between Armenia and  Azerbaijan, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told a news conference Friday as  he summed up the year 2021. 

Asked to comment on the latest escalation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani  border and on any possible links with the dispatch of CSTO  peacekeepers to Kazakhstan against a nervous reaction by Baku and  Ankara, Mr Lavrov said: "To be honest, I did not see any nervous  reactions by officials in Baku or Ankara. There was, to put it  mildly, an unclear statement by one of President Erdogan's advisors,  who was critical of Kazakhstan's steps to apply to the CSTO for help.  And we have inquired of our Turkish partners about what it could  mean. But their officials, as well as Azerbaijani authorities, did  not make any negative comments."   

He stressed that Russia is for an expeditious border delimitation  process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  Mr Lavrov added that it has  nothing to do with the Karabakh region or with the peace process.   "It is an exclusively bilateral issue, and we have for almost a year  proposed starting work on it by setting up a commission for border  delimitation and demarcation. And we offered our consultations, in  view of the fact that the Russian General Staff has maps at its  disposals, which show different stages of formation of the Soviet  Union and changing administrative borders and borders between the  union states," Mr Lavrov said. 

Mr Lavrov added he discussed this topic with his Armenian counterpart  on Thursday, and relevant proposals are available.  

"But before the commission is set up, conditions need to be agreed  on. And the conditions are being discussed now. There are  disagreements, but the stance is clear: the sides need to sit down  and, in the commission format, settle all the issues remaining  unsettled now," the Russian FM said. 

Mr Lavrov reminded the reporters of a fundamental agreement reached  on the issue at the trilateral meeting in Sochi, and the sides  expressed hope that the commission would be set up before the end of  2021.

"But life is more complicated and sufficient progress has not been  made in the process of setting up the commission. As I have said, I  talked to my Armenian counterpart yesterday. They have new proposals  and we are going to inform Baku of them and do our best for the  commission to start working as soon as possible. There are  disagreements on what needs to be done for the commission to start  working. It is going to be difficult. But the best way is setting up  the commission, with the priority issues on its agenda," Mr Lavrov  said.