Thursday, January 18 2024 15:55

ArmInfo. It is very sad that such a practically beneficial thing as opening a route through the Syunik region still remains unfulfilled. And the reason is Yerevan's position.  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on January 18 at a press conference on the results of the activities of the Russian Foreign Ministry in 2023, answering a question about the progress of the process of normalizing relations between Baku and  Yerevan.

According to him, the role of the trilateral agreements reached at  the level of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in the  period from 2020 to 2022 cannot be ignored in the issue of  normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

At the same time, the Russian diplomat found it difficult to say who  is giving such advice to Yerevan, which lead to the torpedoing of the  agreements reached. "But we saw that the EU, France, Germany and the  United States, as soon as they realized that the  Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani process was producing results in  unblocking routes, delimiting the border and preparing a peace  treaty, they immediately, without invitation, began to infiltrate  these processes. And play the role of a spoiler," he noted, citing as  an example a similar method of action by the collective West on the  issue of Transnistria in 2003.

At the same time, Lavrov said that he has every reason to believe  that the West does not want to allow the agreements reached between  Yerevan and Baku through the mediation of Russia to be fulfilled.

According to him, one example is the road through the Syunik region.  "It is Armenia that is now experiencing difficulties in fulfilling  the opening of the route in accordance with the agreements of  November 9, 2020. It is Armenia that is putting forward new demands  in terms of ensuring security at the entrance to the route. They do  not want Russian border guards to stand there, although this is  clearly stated in statement signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan. He does not want neutral border and customs control, only  them, and this contradicts the agreements," said the chief diplomat  of the Russian Federation.

According to him, it is also possible to consider the problem of  delimitation. He recalled that Russia offered its services, and an  agreement was reached between the parties to establish an appropriate  commission, in which the Russian side would participate as a  consultant. "We are not invited there. Charles Michel has already  stated that the EU will deal with delimitation, although, if I  studied geography correctly, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan have ever  been part of any union or association on the current territory of the  EU and the European Union does not have any maps, said the head of  the Russian Foreign Ministry.

He reminded that Russia has such maps that are convenient for the  parties, but they are not suitable for the European Union and the  USA, which also want to demarcate across the ocean. "Somehow they  also ended up with maps of the USSR General Staff," Lavrov said,  calling this game strange. The diplomat also considers it sad that  "such Western selfish aspirations interfere with the realization of  the fundamental interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan."