Zakharova reminds Azerbaijani journalist about Armenians who left  Azerbaijan in late 1980s 

ArmInfo. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, reminded the  Azerbaijani journalist about the Armenians who left Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, in response to the journalist's attempt to connect the issue of the return of Artsakh citizens expelled from their homes to Nagorno Karabakh with the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis to the territory of Armenia.

Thus, on April 18, during a weekly briefing, when asked whether the  issues of the return of Artsakh people to Nagorno-Karabakh should not  be considered in unison with the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis  to Armenia, Zakharova urged not to put both issues on the same plane.

"It seems to me that these issues need to be separated. As for the  Armenian population who left the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as  you rightly noted, the Azerbaijani authorities have adopted a special  "reintegration" plan. Russia welcomes and supports this step.  Karabakh Armenians should have the opportunity to return to the  region, with proper provision of their rights and, of course,  security," she said, adding that Moscow, for its part, is ready to  facilitate this in every possible way.

"Speaking about the Azerbaijanis who, as a result of the conflict in  the late 1980s and early 1990s, left Armenia, as well as about the  Armenians who left Baku, Sumgait and other Azerbaijani cities during  the same period, I would like to note that in order to create  potential conditions for the return of these citizens, a large amount  of work needs to be done. It is necessary for a comprehensive  normalization of Armenian- Azerbaijani relations to be carried out,  for an atmosphere of trust to emerge, for the measures envisaged by  the trilateral statements at the highest level between Armenia,  Azerbaijan and Russia to be implemented. It is also necessary to  develop a peace agreement, open transport communications, delimitate  the border, establish contacts between civil societies," said the  Russian diplomat. According to her, only based on the results of the  abovementioned work, it will be possible to begin the process of  reconciliation between the two peoples, when people will be able to  fearlessly travel to a neighboring country and live on its territory.

After the large-scale aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh in  September 2020, and in September 2023, and the subsequent ethnic  cleansing, in total, over 150 thousand Karabakh residents became  homeless. At the end of the 1980s - at the beginning of the 1990s,  according to various estimates, 400-500 thousand Armenians were  forced to flee from Azerbaijan and this happened in connection with  pogroms and murders committed by the authorities of the AzSSR. They  took place in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad and other cities densely  populated by Armenians.