Highlights from Lavrov-Mnatsakanyan Meeting

During the meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia yesterday, which lasted for one and a half hours and was followed by a joint press conference, several notable emphases were made. Firstly, both Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed firm positions regarding Turkey's potential mediation. Lavrov emphasized that they understand not all issues should be resolved quickly and simultaneously.

Of particular interest was Mnatsakanyan's statement regarding the implementation of an investigation mechanism. He noted, "If there are accusations against Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh, we have always discussed that investigation mechanisms should be established. It is not the Armenian side that has refused to implement these mechanisms, but Azerbaijan." Moreover, Lavrov reaffirmed that issues regarding the maintenance of the ceasefire regime are very important. "The process of establishing these mechanisms cannot be delayed; the bodies of the deceased and the captives must be returned to their relatives," he stated.

However, it should be noted that the Armenian side has repeatedly discussed the establishment of investigation mechanisms, but the Azerbaijani side has consistently attempted to evade the fulfillment of agreed terms, even denying the existence of such commitments months later, in June. Specifically, the agreement on the establishment of investigation mechanisms concerning border incidents was reached on May 16, 2016, in Vienna. The purpose of that meeting, held at the initiative of the United States, was not to conduct substantive negotiations for resolution but to attempt to resume contacts.

Despite the declarations, only one aspect of the Vienna agreements was implemented: a month later, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev met again. This time, the initiative belonged to Russia, with Vladimir Putin as the mediator. After the meeting, the Russian Foreign Minister informed that the parties had agreed on the text of a joint statement, affirming their commitment to the resolution process and also agreed to increase the number of OSCE observers. However, the announcement made no mention of the establishment of investigation mechanisms for ceasefire violations, even though, according to reports, the presidents had also come to an agreement on that matter during the Vienna meeting. Over these four years, it has not been possible to implement the investigation mechanisms, and it was significant that yesterday the Russian Foreign Minister spoke about the matter once more,” the newspaper writes.

Read the full article in today's issue of the newspaper.