Russia will continue to facilitate the settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured.
"The Russian Federation continues and intends to continue its mediation efforts, implementing primarily those agreements that have been reached on a trilateral basis," the Kremlin spokesman told reporters on Thursday.
He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the Lachin corridor topic Tuesday on the sidelines of an informal CIS summit. "The topic of the Lachin corridor was indeed discussed in great detail the day before yesterday in St. Petersburg between Putin and Pashinyan, conversations on this subject will continue," the Kremlin spokesman said. "We are really concerned about the tension that has now arisen around the Lachin corridor," he stressed.
Peskov assured that "the Russian side will continue its work and its efforts both in contacts with Yerevan and in contacts with Baku."
Speaking about Pashinyan's idea of sending international peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh, Peskov pointed out that "international peacekeepers can be involved if both sides of the conflict agree to it". "And it is not only Armenia, but also Azerbaijan," he clarified. "Armenia is one of our closest allies, Azerbaijan is our very valuable and dear partner," the Kremlin spokesman said.
Lachin corridor
Earlier Thursday, Pashinyan said the Armenian government expects Russia to provide a road map to unblock the Lachin corridor, which, according to a November 9, 2020, trilateral statement by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, is under the control of Russian peacekeepers but is now blocked by Azerbaijan. According to the Armenian prime minister, "if the Russian Federation is unable to ensure stability and security in Nagorno-Karabakh for objective or subjective reasons, it should initiate discussions in the UN Security Council on giving Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh a UN Security Council mandate or sending additional multinational peacekeeping forces to Nagorno-Karabakh."
The Lachin corridor is the only road linking Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. On December 12, a group of Azerbaijanis who introduced themselves as environmentalists blocked the Lachin corridor, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed. Baku stated that the goal of the protest was not to block any road and that civilian vehicles could move freely in both directions.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS