The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh's status should be coordinated with the participation of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, USA, France), but now the main focus should be not on that, but on the return of peaceful life to the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the Primakov Readings forum.
"I understand that now many people say that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains unresolved. It will have to be finally agreed upon with the participation of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who at this stage probably should not stir up the issue of status, but promote the strengthening of confidence-building measures, the resolution of humanitarian issues, so that Armenians and Azerbaijanis can once again live together in security and economic well-being. I assure you that all the problems of the status will be solved much easier in several years if we establish such a life," the Foreign Minister said.
He pointed out that statements from capitals of the countries participating in the conflict and neighboring countries are often conditioned by emotions. " We call on everyone involved in this situation to help calm down and establish a normal life for those who are on the ground", Lavrov stressed. He added that Russia is actively engaged in this through the efforts of peacekeepers and the Emergencies Ministry.
The Minister also noted that the activities of the trilateral working group on the unblocking of regional communications are also devoted to this task. "The effectiveness of the tripartite working group will be determined primarily by the extent to which this unblocking will directly help improve people's lives," Lavrov noted. - "In these trilateral discussions, both Turkish and Iranian interests are clearly taken into account, otherwise all this unblocking will not have maximum effect."
He also said that the activity of the Russian-Turkish monitoring center on a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh is a very useful and stabilizing factor.
The situation in the conflict zone around Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27, 2020, when active hostilities began there. On November 9, 2020, a trilateral statement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which made it possible to achieve a complete cessation of hostilities. According to the document, the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides stopped at the occupied positions, a number of areas came under Baku's control, and Russian peacekeepers were deployed along the line of contact and the Lachin corridor.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov / TASS
Based on materials from TASS