We Would Like to Understand Official Yerevan's Position: Zakharova

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded during the weekly briefing to a journalist's question about why the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh is currently being effectively disregarded in the negotiating process, as well as their desire not to be part of Azerbaijan.

The journalist referenced a recent press conference given by the Russian Foreign Minister, where the diplomat discussed the agreement signed by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Prague in October, stating that the peace agreement should be based on borders that conform to the UN Charter and the Almaty Declaration of December 1991.

“Let me pose a question in return: have you addressed this question to the official representatives in Yerevan? Have you raised this issue with the Armenian leadership? After all, it requires the establishment of an official position, primarily in Yerevan. You understand this perfectly well. I believe Sergei Lavrov has made all the necessary points. There is nothing more to add. What is important here is to understand the official, unified position of the state on this matter, and only then can we publicly discuss these nuances. I don’t know what else to add to what Sergei Lavrov has already said without having a corresponding position that would be officially formulated in Yerevan as a unified stance. Recently, we are seeing many comments, subtleties, and very different interpretations of some issues. We would like to understand the official position of Yerevan on these aspects,” Zakharova stated.

It should be recalled that Lavrov mentioned during the press conference regarding the Almaty Declaration: “The Almaty Declaration states that all Soviet states form a Commonwealth of Independent States and confirm the inviolability of borders as they existed between the USSR states. In other words, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast was undoubtedly part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic at that time. And when both Azerbaijan, Armenia, France, and Michel (President of the European Council Charles Michel) approved that document, acknowledging the Almaty Declaration without reservations, it simplifies further work since it addresses the question of how to approach the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is not in vain that the Armenian authorities have recently been speaking not so much about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh but about guaranteeing the rights of the Armenian population in Karabakh.”