Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov compared the words of Josep Borrel, the head of EU diplomacy, about "Astanisation" of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh by Russia and Turkey with nostalgia for colonial times.
"If "Astanisation" is thrown into diplomatic circulation as a reflection of nostalgia for colonization, then perhaps the EU will have to survive these years of nostalgia for those times that have sunk irreversibly. I hope very much that the EU will behave in a modern way and will not try to present the modern world as a subject of division into spheres of influence," Lavrov said at a press conference. - Everybody will have enough space if they participate in the conflict resolution honestly and not for the sake of getting some geopolitical benefits and unilateral advantages".
Earlier Borrel said that Russia and Turkey will "Astanise" (analogy with the Astana format on settlement in Syria) conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria and Libya, i.e. push the EU out of the settlement process.
Lavrov noted that he does not see any negative implication in the term invented by Borrell. "At least, I hope that he did not put negative connotations into this word that he invented. Because by and large, the Astana process has developed in the context of the Syrian crisis. Until the Astana format was formed, no progress in the political settlement was observed at all," he recalled.
Speaking about the projection of this format to other regions, Lavrov pointed out that Russia, Turkey and Iran care about the situation in the South Caucasus, as they are immediate neighbors of the countries of this region. However, the Minister continued, Russia expresses its attitude towards what is happening with concrete actions, including the statement of the leaders of three countries dated November 9 and the great assistance rendered now in overcoming the consequences of the hot phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"As for the mood Josep Borrel expressed in his blog as a whole, I understand that he is a little concerned that someone other than the EU can take some initial steps in the modern world", Lavrov emphasized.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS