Russia Supports Strict Adherence to Tripartite Agreements Without Any Improvisation, Lavrov Says

The points of the tripartite statement by the leaders of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan must be implemented without any improvisation. This statement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a joint press conference in Moscow with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, commenting on the situation surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh.

“If we talk in terms of ‘the occupation that lasted for several decades has ended’ and ‘aggression has begun,’ then we will solve no problems. We must always seek ways to reconcile the parties, balancing interests. This is how Russia acted as an ally of Armenia and a strategic partner of Azerbaijan when it stopped hostilities in 2020,” Lavrov said.

He added that it is well-known that there was a possibility of reaching a ceasefire sooner than what ultimately occurred.

At the same time, he noted that Russia is in favor of strictly and fully, without any improvisation, fulfilling all tripartite agreements reached among the leaders of the three countries. “This refers primarily to those agreements signed on the night of November 9-10, 2020. The issue of the Lachin corridor must be considered exclusively in this context. Only the full implementation of all the provisions related to the Lachin corridor can resolve the existing situation,” Lavrov stated.

According to him, this is precisely what Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh are currently focused on.

It is worth mentioning that on January 11, 2021, a meeting took place in Moscow between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Following nearly four hours of negotiations, a tripartite statement was adopted, mainly concerning the implementation of point 9 of the November 9, 2020 statement regarding the unblocking of all economic and transport links in the region.

The new tripartite statement mentions the establishment of a working group co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of the three countries. Based on the outcomes of the meeting, a list of the main directions of work stemming from the implementation of point 9 will be created, with priority being given to railway and road communications, as well as other agreed directions among Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia.

According to this provision, all economic and transport links in the region will be unblocked. Armenia ensures transport communication between the western regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. This transport link is overseen by the Russian Border Guard Service. By mutual agreement of the parties, a transport route will be constructed to connect Nakhchivan and the western regions of Azerbaijan.