Expert: Moscow very active in resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

Moscow is very active in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict not only as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, but also as one of the powers responsible for the maintenance of peace and stability in the Eurasian area, especially in the area of its geopolitical interests, head of the expert-analytical network PolitRUS Vitaly Arkov told Trend on May 13.

The expert noted that Moscow rightly believes that a solution can be found only through a peaceful and direct dialogue between Baku and Yerevan.

“Moscow strongly promotes dialogue between the parties by regularly acting as the initiator and organizer of negotiations at various levels, including those at the level of foreign ministers and leaders of the states,” said Arkov.

Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

After the April 2016 escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in St. Petersburg.

On April 28, 2017, Russia again brought the sides together. This time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers. They discussed the prospects for the progress of the negotiation process on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Arkov noted that the Karabakh issue is perhaps the most intractable one not only in the Post-Soviet area, but also in Europe in general.

“Yerevan, although hardly, painfully and with the help of Moscow, has realized that the state will not be able to fully develop and peacefully coexist with neighbors without taking any steps to return the occupied territories to the control of Baku,” said the expert, adding that there is a plan of the interim settlement developed in Moscow and agreed with Baku and Yerevan.

Arkov also accused the West of inaction, saying that their words differ from their actions.

The expert added that the formation of preconditions for the emergence of new conflict zones is one of the strategies of Washington to maintain control over Eurasia, which is the key continent for world domination.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region 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. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

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