“The Main Thing in the Caucasus is to Avoid the Presence of Third Parties,” Says Peskov

The key to resolving the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is to avoid the presence of third parties in the Caucasus that do not have peacekeeping capabilities. This statement was made by Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of Russia, during a conversation with reporters.

“The main thing is to avoid attempts by third parties in the Caucasus that seek to secure their presence without the potential for mediation,” emphasized Peskov. According to the press secretary of the Russian leader, such actions are unlikely to contribute to a resolution of the situation. However, he noted, “if anyone can help reduce the level of tension and assist in the integration of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh into the new reality, that should be welcomed.”

According to Peskov, this requires the agreement of all parties involved. He also emphasized that Russia will continue to work towards protecting the rights of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. “Armenia remains our ally, a close state to us. Armenians are a dear people to us; you know that there are more Armenians living in our country than in all of Armenia—significantly more. We will continue to fulfill our functions and maintain a dialogue with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. We will also continue to work with him to ensure the protection of all rights of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, referring to the Armenians of Karabakh,” stated Peskov.

As for the prospects of a tripartite meeting between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Peskov indicated that there are no hints regarding this matter.