Moscow is willing to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan in normalizing  relations and supports dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group

ArmInfo.  Moscow has once again expressed its willingness to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan in normalizing relations. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated this position on April 17  during a weekly briefing, touching upon the process of normalizing  Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

According to her, the trilateral agreements at the highest level  between the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan from 2020-2022  remain fully relevant, a point that the Russian side regularly  emphasizes. "The earliest possible resumption of full-fledged  interaction in a trilateral format would, of course, contribute to  the establishment of lasting peace and prosperity in the South  Caucasus. We are ready to assist our Azerbaijani and Armenian  partners in all key areas of reconciliation between the two  countries. We have excellent developments in unblocking transport and  economic ties between the two countries, within the framework of the  trilateral working group co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of  Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia," Zakharova recalled.

 She also stated her readiness to assist in border delimitation and  resolving unresolved humanitarian issues.  "I will not say anything  new. We are always ready to help our Armenian and Azerbaijani friends  enhance the normalization of relations," the representative of the  Russian Foreign Ministry noted. When asked about the  Russian side's  stance on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, which has a  mandate to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Zakharova noted  that due to the termination of contacts with the Russian counterpart  by the French and American co-chairs in February 2022, as well as  Armenia's recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of  Azerbaijan following the summit in Prague in October 2022, and the  fundamental change in the situation on the ground, the format has  lost its relevance.  According to her, all structures of the OSCE  Minsk Conference are subject to dissolution. "We believe that the  optimal way to make an appropriate decision is a joint proposal by  Baku and Yerevan to the OSCE to liquidate these institutions. For our  part, we are committed to assisting our partners in overcoming the  remaining challenges and signing a peace treaty," she added. In  conclusion, Zakharova stated Moscow's willingness to facilitate  negotiations between Yerevan and Baku.