Putin Discusses Meeting in Prague Held Without Russia's Participation

Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a press conference following a trilateral statement with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Sochi, responded to a question about how the outcomes of the Sochi meeting correlate with the results of the Prague meeting that took place without Russia's participation.

“As for the meeting in Prague without Russia's participation, it is clear to us why it was held without Russia, and there is no need to explain it to anyone. Our European partners are conducting their politics in such a way that they are trying to exclude Russia from all formats. It is quite clear that in certain situations, this is absolutely unrealistic, impossible, as in this case. However, for our part, we always welcome any efforts aimed at resolution. Therefore, regarding the correlation, it correlates in a completely natural way, and we support everything directed towards reducing confrontation and resolving issues, as I have already mentioned,” said Putin.

It is worth noting that on October 6, during the first meeting of the “European Political Community” initiated by the President of France and the President of the European Council in Prague, a quadrilateral meeting (France, EU, Armenia, Azerbaijan) took place, resulting in a declaration. According to the declaration, Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, through which both parties recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Armenia has agreed to encourage the EU’s civilian mission along the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan agreed to cooperate with the mentioned mission as far as it is concerned.

Below is the full text of the trilateral statement from Sochi: “We, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia N.V. Pashinyan, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan I.H. Aliyev, and the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin met in Sochi on October 31, 2022, and discussed the implementation of the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020, January 11, 2021, and November 26. We reaffirmed our commitment to strictly adhere to all the mentioned agreements, based on the interests of the comprehensive resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, ensuring peace, stability, security, and sustainable economic development in the South Caucasus. We agreed to make additional efforts to address all remaining urgent humanitarian issues.

Noting the crucial contribution of the Russian peacekeeping contingent to ensuring security in its deployment zone, we emphasized the necessity of its efforts towards stabilizing the situation in the region. We agreed to refrain from the use of force or the threat of its use, and to discuss and resolve all problematic issues solely on the basis of mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders in accordance with the UN Charter and the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. We emphasized the importance of actively preparing for the signing of a peace treaty between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan with the aim of achieving stable and long-term peace in the region. Based on existing working options, an agreement was reached to continue searching for mutually acceptable solutions. The Russian Federation will provide necessary support to this end.

We stressed the importance of creating a positive atmosphere between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan for the continuation of dialogue among representatives of societies, expert communities, and religious leaders with the support of Russia, as well as for the initiation of trilateral inter-parliamentary communications aimed at strengthening trust between the peoples of the two countries. The leaders of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan welcomed the readiness of the Russian Federation to continue to assist in the normalization of relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, and in ensuring stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus.”