Lavrov: Karabakh conflict settlement depends on political will of parties

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict depends on the political will of Armenia and Azerbaijan and their willingness to go for compromise solutions, said Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.

Lavrov, in an interview with Armenian newspaper New Time on April 3, said that much has been agreed [on the conflict resolution], but there are still a few, the most difficult, questions left.

“However, it is clear that the results of the work depend primarily on the political will of the parties themselves, on their willingness to show flexibility and go for compromise solutions,” the Russian top diplomat said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

The minister further noted that Russia remains an active participant in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Together with the United States and France – other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – we help the parties to reach a sustainable overcoming of the conflict,” he added. “The trilateral summit of the last summer in St. Petersburg, which was held at the initiative of the President of Russia, was devoted to this task.”

Earlier, Lavrov noted that the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is among Russia’s unconditional foreign policy priorities.

After the meetings of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Vienna and St. Petersburg, which took place after the April clashes, the negotiation process came to the dead end due to the denial of Yerevan to continue serious talks.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.