11:36,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. A senior Armenian government official has rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s apparent proposals of Donbas and Kosovo models as a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.  

Amabssador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said that Nagorno Karabakh, with its entire legal and political history, is incomparable with Donetsk, Lugansk or the Kosovo Serbian model.

“With its entire legal & political history Nagorno Karabagh is incomparable with the Donetsk, Lugansk or Serbs of Kosovo, because it’s always been an autonomy, & a self-proclaimed state in the last 30 years. Moreover, NK conflict predates the collapse of USSR, unlike those listed” Marukyan tweeted. “Hence, while looking for a solution to the NK problem, the International Community should take into account the entire historical legal-political background, otherwise any solution built upon irrelevant examples will lead to the deepening of the problem and its non-resolution.”

During a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on March 20, Lavrov expressed support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s position on the need for a dialogue between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Lavrov cited the example of the Minsk agreements in Ukraine, under which the Russian-speaking residents of the eastern part of Ukraine were to have the right to their native language, to educate their children in their native language, to live and work in their native language environment, to preserve their culture, their religion, and other relations with their compatriots.

“Approximately, the same rights were provided in the agreement signed between Belgrade and Pristina 10 years ago, in the agreement on the establishment of the Serbian community of Kosovo, language, local self-government, education, culture, religion, special economic ties with Serbia. I think that the people of Karabakh need such a set of rights,” Lavrov added.