By Abdul Kerimkhanov
Statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at a press conference held following a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger in Moscow are quite significant in terms of their essence since they can facilitate progress on Karabakh settlement.
In his speech, Lavrov stressed that Russia welcomes agreements reached in Dushanbe.
However, he stated that until the current somewhat tumultuous domestic political processes in Armenia are complete, it will hardly be possible to discuss in real earnest specific options for overcoming this crisis and ensuring a full Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.
Simultaneously with the statement of Lavrov, the Russian co-chairman Igor Popov, while on a visit to the region, refused to go from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, in other words, he did not meet with the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
A group of pro-Armenian Russian experts associated this with technical issues.
However, we should not forget that Popov met in Baku with representatives of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Therefore, the unwillingness to visit occupied Karabakh lands should be viewed as something more than just a technical issues. It is rather a political step showing that Russia demonstrated support to Azerbaijan, which is understandable and logical in view of recent developments in Armenia and its aggressive policy.
Worsening relations with Russia, after Pashinyan came to power, is not surprising. Russia, which has its own interests in the region, has long viewed Armenia as its true ally, but the country is reconsidering this at the moment.
Prior to becoming the prime minister of Armenia, the then oppositionist Pashinyan made a number of anti-Russian statements, urging the Armenian authorities to leave the alliance with Russia, in particular, the Eurasian Economic Union.
Armenians perceive the current position of Russia as not corresponding to their interests. From the point of view of Azerbaijan, this is a step towards objectivity, the norms of international law.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries 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 districts.
As a result of Armenia's armed invasion into Azerbaijan's legal territory, the two neighboring countries have remained locked in a bitter territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Despite Baku's best efforts, peace in the occupied lands remains a mirage in the distance as Armenia refuses to comply with international law.