Wednesday, September 27 2023 15:12

ArmInfo. Moscow did not comment on the claims of the President of Azerbaijan to the Armenian  Zangezur, calling for this issue to be left to historians and relevant experts.

Thus, on September 27, during a weekly briefing, when asked to  comment on the statements of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that  supposedly "historical" Zangezur belonged to the Azerbaijan Republic,  but the Soviet Union "gave it to Armenia," the official  representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said  that she did not consider it right to give the primary importance of  history, but not because it is not respected in Russia, but because  of the dynamic development of the situation on the "ground" today.

According to her, in Moscow they know very well the history of the  Soviet period, and before the Soviet period, and after it. "Now the  situation is developing dynamically, and it requires prompt comments  more than history requires - this is firstly. And secondly, comments  on historical facts and history take a lot of time. I think that for  this purpose there are historians and relevant experts to whom it is  better to ask questions," she noted.

At the same time, Zakharova noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan  recognized each other's territorial integrity. "They will be guided  by this principle in their practical actions. The parties stated  this. The Russian side is interested in a stable situation in the  Transcaucasus. It advocates resolving all controversial issues  exclusively through political and diplomatic means. Moreover, both  Armenia and Azerbaijan are allied states with us. "We are bound by  security obligations with Yerevan, both in a bilateral format and  within the CSTO. The declaration of allied cooperation of February  2022 is being successfully implemented with Baku," she said.

Regarding the statements of the Turkish President about obtaining a  corridor through the Syunik region of the Republic of Armenia,  Zakharova recalled that the topic of unblocking transport  communications in the region is being most carefully considered  through a tripartite working group co-chaired by the Deputy Prime  Ministers of the Russian Federation, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"We are convinced that it is in this format that a mutually  acceptable solution can and should be found that would guarantee the  sovereignty and jurisdiction of each country over routes passing  through its national territory. Such agreements, based on a balance  of interests, will benefit both the states of the region and their  neighbors, including Russia, Turkey and Iran," she said.

In response to the question whether there were contacts between  Yerevan and Moscow after the latest mutual accusations, and whether  Russia was heard in Armenia, Zakharova said that this question should  be addressed to Yerevan. "It seems to me that, in general, what is  happening there - I think even a deaf person would hear. This is not  just a question of Moscow's reaction. This is, in general, the  reaction that simply swept across the world," she said, adding that  contacts between Yerevan and Moscow continue at various levels.  Zakharova also noted that Moscow expects that their signs will be  properly heard and received in Yerevan.

She also assured that this was largely a response to the actions of  Armenia. "And lastly, I think the most important thing, Russia has  always treated relations with Armenia with care. It has never been  the initiator of their aggravation, it has done its utmost to support  the people of Armenia in the most difficult situations.  This will  continue to be the case. We proceed from the fact that all agreements  on the development of bilateral cooperation will continue to be  implemented in the interests of the peoples of the two countries,"  she concluded.