Moscow is willing to promote the conclusion of a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku, Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
“Basic principles proposed by Baku for establishing interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and Yerevan’s reaction to them are intended to serve as a basis for the start of Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiations on a peace treaty,” she said.
“Russia is determined to promote the conclusion of a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku,” the comment underlines.
According to the diplomat, the topic was discussed on April 9 by Russian President Vladimir Putin in telephone conversations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at talks in Moscow with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan and telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov.
Zakharova said that “from February 24 Washington and Paris curtailed all contacts with Moscow within the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group.”
“Meanwhile, the real situation in the South Caucasus does not allow for pauses in the talks. Further consistent steps are required to restore long-term peace and stability in the region, since the US and France have ceased cooperation as co-chairs,” she stressed.
“In this regard, Ambassador-at-Large Igor Khovaev will continue his work in a new capacity, namely, the special representative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on promoting the normalization of relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. He will focus on the preparation of the aforementioned peace treaty. We count on the support of the efforts of I. A. Khovaev from our allies and partners in Baku and Yerevan. We are open for constructive interaction with other interested players,” the diplomat concluded.
