MOSCOW, May 25 Baku and Yerevan must rely on long-term, sustainable solutions, while the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides themselves decide what meets their fundamental interests and how they intend to ensure sustainable peace, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview.
Answering a question about the preparation of a peace treaty between the parties, he pointed out that «taking into account the extreme sensitivity of these issues, we cannot comment on the course of the negotiation process so as not to hinder its progress.»
«Baku and Yerevan decide for themselves what meets their fundamental interests and how they intend to ensure a stable and reliable peace for their peoples. At the same time, of course, a peace treaty should be based on long-term, sustainable solutions,» the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia added.
He recalled that «Russia supports the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia in every possible way.» «The leaders' trilateral statement following the Sochi summit on October 31, 2022 emphasizes the importance of actively preparing for the conclusion of a peace treaty in order to achieve sustainable and long-term peace in the region,» the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia added.
Galuzin is sure that «this joint work should be considered in the context of the implementation of a set of tripartite agreements agreed upon by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia since November 2020.»
«They underlie the process of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization and form a road map for reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan. It includes steps to unblock transport and economic ties, delimit the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and develop contacts through civil society,» he said. . Returning to the topic of the peace treaty, he noted that the Russian side is helping «the parties to find common ground, to come to terms and compromises that suit them.»
The press secretary of the head of the Russian state Dmitry Peskov said that on Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold two bilateral meetings, with colleagues from Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, then a trilateral meeting is expected.
Yerevan and Baku last year, with the mediation of Russia, the United States and the European Union, began discussing a future peace treaty. In early February of this year, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia received Azerbaijan's next proposals on a peace treaty and is studying them. Following the talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Munich on February 18, Aliyev stated that «the main issue is that this peace treaty should be drawn up on the basis of international norms and principles, any provisions on Karabakh are unacceptable.» Pashinyan said last Wednesday that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity within Soviet administrative borders. On Monday, Pashinyan said that 86.6 thousand square kilometers of the territory of Azerbaijan, which Yerevan is ready to recognize, also includes the territory of Karabakh.
At the end of September 2020, hostilities resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh, which became a continuation of a long-term conflict and led to casualties among the civilian population. The parties made several attempts to conclude a truce, but the tripartite agreement reached on the night of November 10 was successful. With the mediation of Moscow, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to completely cease fire, remaining in their positions, and to exchange prisoners and the bodies of the dead. In addition, the Kelbajar and Lachin regions, as well as part of the Aghdam region, which were previously under the control of the unrecognized NKR, crossed Baku. Russian peacekeepers have been stationed in the region, including the Lachin corridor.
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