Lavrov: Russia is not opposed to other international players trying  their hand at Baku-Yerevan mediation

ArmInfo.Russia is not opposed to other international players trying their hand at mediation in the  process of normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  This was announced on June 20 in Minsk following the meeting of the CSTO Ministerial Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrova, in  response to a question about the prospects for normalizing relations between Yerevan and Baku, and the West's mediation in this direction.

The Russian minister stated that Moscow laid the foundation for the  normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, when,  thanks to the personal intervention of Russian President Vladimir  Putin, in November 2020 the first trilateral statement was signed  (between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian  Federation, ed. note) on the principles of the final settlement.  According to him, and then several more tripartite high-level  statements were adopted on various aspects of efforts to fully  normalize the situation.

He recalled that this concerns, among other things, the opening of  all transport and economic communications between Armenia and  Azerbaijan, and in general in the South Caucasus.

"We are not opposed to other international players trying their hand  at mediation. The main thing is that this mediation should pursue the  goal of ensuring agreements that will reflect the balance of  interests of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples, the Armenian and  Azerbaijani states," Lavrov said.

At the same time, he stated with regret that Moscow sees in today's  actions of the United States and the European Union, rather a desire  to penetrate the region, a desire to put pressure on the legitimate  interests of Russia as well as a desire to establish itself as some  kind of force that will play almost a decisive role there rather than  a desire to help reach an agreement. 

"This reflects the same process that I said above. This reflects the  desire of the West to expand regions that are far from the borders of  NATO member states, the EU. And this has little to do with a sincere  desire to help stabilize the situation. I hope that our partners in  both Yerevan and Baku understand this. At least we are frankly  discussing what is happening with them," the Russian minister said.

In this vein, Lavrov once again stressed that reaching agreements is  possible only within the framework of the full implementation of the  arrangements and agreements previously signed by the leaders of  Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.