Washington Agreement Envisions Recognition of Azerbaijan's Sovereignty Over Nagorno-Karabakh, Putin on Armenia's Choice

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated today that a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is essential, and that Russia supports a peaceful resolution. He emphasized that the Armenian people and leadership must choose what option suits them best, and any option leading to peace would be acceptable to Russia.

“We are not going to impose anything, we cannot and do not intend to dictate anything to Armenia. If the Armenian people and the current leadership decide that a specific option should be chosen, as I understand it, the Washington agreement, which envisions recognition of Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, then please,” Putin said, adding that Russia will support any choice made by the Armenian people.

Putin also stated that if Armenia and the current government believe that Nagorno-Karabakh has specific features that need to be considered and included in the agreement, that too can be discussed. “This is a very difficult and challenging issue. Armenia is our strategic partner, ally, and we, taking into account Azerbaijan's interests, should focus on the issues that Armenia proposes,” said the Russian president.