Friday, April 8 2022 17:41

ArmInfo.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov does not know what will be the future of the OSCE Minsk Group, endowed with an international format for the  settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

So, on April 8, at a press conference following the results of  negotiations with RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, when asked to  comment on the future fate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship,  Lavrov, in particular, said: "I do not know what the future will be,  since our French and American the so-called partners in this group,  are in a Russophobic frenzy, in an effort to cancel everything that  concerns the Russian Federation, also canceled the trio of OSCE Minsk  Group Co-Chairs, saying that they would not communicate with us in  this format."

According to the Russian minister, this is their right if they are  ready to sacrifice the interests of the settlement in Karabakh, and  in the Transcaucasus as a whole. "If they are ready to sacrifice the  interests of the Armenian side in this case, this is their choice.  They are among their priorities now, making hostages of their  Russophobic policy, as you know, not only this particular conflict,  but all other conflicts and crises on earth, forcing everyone and  everything to stop interaction in any format, just to show their  ability dictate to everyone and all their unilateral will," he said.

At the same time, Lavrov considered such an approach irresponsible.  "We remain fully committed, as we were committed, to promoting the  settlement of the Karabakh situation. We are committed to the  implementation of all those agreements that were reached in a  trilateral format between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and  Azerbaijan," the Russian minister said. At the same time, he stressed  that it is not Russia's choice, if the United States and France  decide to do it, God will be their judge.

In turn, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, referring to the  future of the OSCE Minsk Group, noted that, of course, the current  geopolitical situation has significantly complicated the work of the  co- chairmanship.

At the same time, the Armenian minister noted that he has somewhat  different information, and other specific signals and messages reach  him both from other countries and from the co-chairing countries. "I  would like to confirm that despite the fact that Azerbaijani  colleagues repeat that the OSCE Minsk Group has ceased to exist, that  they have nothing else to do, since there is no more Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict, since there is no longer even such a region called  Nagorno-Karabakh, despite all this, the international community  continues to see the settlement of the Karabakh conflict within the  framework of the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group, which I should say  is very encouraging," Mirzoyan summed up.

Meanwhile, Lavrov, referring to the quotes of Azerbaijanis, voiced by  Mirzoyan, said that he did not hear Azerbaijan's statement that the  trio of co-chairs ceased to exist. "But the fact that the French and  the Americans said this - as part of the troika - is a fact for me. I  don't know what words they put into their statement, but the fact  that they - I emphasize once again - sacrificed the fate of the  region to their Russophobic tasks, at least the role that the trio  could play in the fate of the region, is a fact, and they set their  priorities quite clearly," Lavrov concluded.