Russia's Objectives Are Currently Quite Limited and Specific: Andrey Kortunov

There is no reason to believe that the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh will end before its term expires. This was stated by Andrey Kortunov, the general director of the Russian International Affairs Council, in an interview with NEWS.am.

According to him, Moscow is approaching the current situation with a realistic assessment. “There is an understanding that, most likely, the issues related to the status of Nagorno-Karabakh will not be resolved in the near future, and therefore, the Russian position is to prevent any new escalation in this region, to avoid any excesses that could harm the local population. Moreover, it is essential to facilitate the resolution of humanitarian issues and economic cooperation matters, for instance, related to the restoration of transport infrastructure blocked during the conflict. In other words, Russia's objectives at this moment are quite limited and specific. As these goals are achieved, more ambitious tasks may arise, including those related to the status issue,” he said.

Kortunov noted that there is a mandate for the presence of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, with the agreed terms for their stay being established with both sides. “They are there for five years, with the possibility of extension if necessary. And as far as I know, neither side has raised the issue of prematurely terminating the mandate or withdrawing Russian peacekeepers. It seems to me that negotiations on the extension of the mandate, although that time has not yet come, will be difficult, and perhaps some adjustment to the peacekeepers' mandate will be required. However, there are currently no grounds to assume that the Russian peacekeeping mission will end before the term set by the agreement,” he added.

Kortunov expressed hope that during the remaining time, it would be possible not only to maintain stability and prevent escalation but also to achieve the restoration of normal socio-economic life in the region, achieving the goals set regarding transport corridors, so that when the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers ends, we will have a more stable situation that guarantees the existence of a multicultural area with the protection of rights for all communities living there.