Zakharova: Moscow always advocated for speedy reconciliation between  Yerevan and Ankara

ArmInfo.Russia has always  advocated for a speedy reconciliation between Yerevan and Ankara. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated this during a weekly briefing on September 18, touching on the  Armenian-Turkish normalization process.

The diplomat recalled that Russia has repeatedly participated in  international meetings on that topic, including at the level of  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. She called it no coincidence  that the first round of these negotiations was held in Moscow in  2022. "We view the normalization of relations between Armenia and  Turkey as a prerequisite for restoring lasting peace and ensuring  sustainable development in the South Caucasus. We stand ready to  continue supporting the efforts of our Armenian and Turkish partners  in this area, including within the framework of the 3+3 regional  platform," the diplomat said.  She added that Moscow expects that the  realities and the long-term interests of the neighbors in the South  Caucasus will be duly taken into account when developing agreements  between Ankara and Yerevan. To achieve this, she added, it is  important to exclude destructive interference from non-regional  players in the already challenging negotiation process.