Claims of Russia provoking Azerbaijan`s attack in September 2020 lies  - Russian FM 

ArmInfo. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov cannot confirm the reports that Armenia's authorities are  discussing the advisability of Russian frontier guards' further presence at the Zvartnots airport. 

"I cannot confirm these reports, although this fits well with the  logic of the positions that the Armenian leadership is now setting  out," Lavrov said at a press conference following the Antalya  Diplomatic Forum.

At the same time, Lavrov added that both Prime Minister of Armenia  Nikol Pashinyan, the speaker of the country's parliament and other  figures say that everything that happened in relations between  Yerevan and Moscow since 1991 was a mistake.

"Quite indicative speeches by Armenian officials. Well, from here  follow the assessments of the activities of the CSTO, which allegedly  did not fulfill its obligations to Armenia. From the same logic,  statements by officials that in September 2020 it was Russia that  provoked Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia, and other characteristics  our country, as guilty of everything and everyone, including the  betrayal of the people of Karabakh," Lavrov said. 

At the same time, he called these statements an obvious lie.  According to the Russian diplomat, the question arises of who and for  what purpose this obvious lie is being introduced into the  consciousness of the Armenian people, and those who are watching what  is happening from the outside are rubbing their hands and saying that  Russia needs to be removed from the South Caucasus. "The same  political engineers who are used to leading the whole world from  their apartments, and who have not brought any benefit to anyone in  any part of the world. Look at the entire list of American adventures  over the past at least 50 years," asked the head of the Russian  Foreign Ministry , adding that Moscow has no illusions about the  usefulness of the introduction of the collective West in the South  Caucasus. At the same time, Lavrov complained that in Armenia they  believe that you need to build your life not with your closest  neighbors and historical allies, but with those who oppose your  friends.

"We are sorry that the Armenian leadership has made, apparently, a  conscious decision to consistently pursue a policy of worsening  relations with the Russian Federation, of blaming Russia for  everything that happened with Nagorno-Karabakh. This is not an  alliance, of course. One of the main accusations is is, in addition  to the fabrications I quoted, when it was stated by Armenian  officials that it was Russia that pushed Azerbaijan to start the war,  as they said, in September 2020. These are ungrateful assessments,  because it was Russia that stopped this war, and could have stopped  it much earlier, when the Azerbaijanis had not yet taken Shushi, but  then Nikol Vovaevich Pashinyan, in response to calls from Vladimir  Putin, said: "No, we will fight to the end." Oh please. Although it  was possible, I say again, to stop much earlier, and there were  options that made it possible to return Azerbaijani refugees to  Shushi, while maintaining Shushi as part of Karabakh. Well, this  stage has already been passed," Lavrov said. Speaking about the  negotiations on the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations,  the minister noted that regular contacts are taking place between  Moscow and Baku, and the Azerbaijani side confirms its commitment to  normalization on the basis of trilateral agreements at the highest  level on everything. He repeated Moscow's readiness to facilitate  negotiations on the entire range of issues on the normalization  agenda. The diplomat also recalled the activities of Russia's special  representative in the South Caucasus, Igor Khovaev.  "Khovaev was  recently in Baku. As for the visit to the Armenian capital, our  Armenian colleagues have not yet confirmed his visit, which actually  reflects the trends that I spoke about above. About those meetings  that are held between Yerevan and Baku under the auspices of various  Western figures," the Russian FM said. 

"The latter, as I understand it, took place with the efforts of  Annalena Baerbock (German Foreign Minister - ed.). I asked my  Azerbaijani colleague about his impressions. I'd rather leave his  answers to myself," said the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry,  expressing confidence that progress will depend depends on the extent  to which the parties will conscientiously implement the agreements  reached at the highest level between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.

"Those statements that are heard on a daily basis from the lips of  the Armenian leadership make us think about what is really happening  and how to take this into account in our practical steps," Lavrov  concluded.