Artsakh resident Vagif Khachatryan before being kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces on Jul. 29
Calls Yerevan’s Acceptance of Artsakh as Part of Azerbaijan “Inappropriate,” Chides Pashinyan for Calling into Question Russia’s Role
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Azerbaijan’s abduction of an Artsakh citizen is further complicating the peace process and the ability to find solutions to the conflict. It also lambasted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for questioning the continued presence of its peacekeepers in Artsakh and claiming that Moscow has scaled back its involvement in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks because of the war in Ukraine.
The kidnapping and subsequent arrest of Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijani forces on Saturday “
of course, complicates the process of finding difficult but necessary conclusions, compromises and solutions,” said Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“Of course, this exacerbates the situation,” she emphasized, adding that the assessments of the situation by Armenia and Azerbaijan were “diametrically opposed” to one another.
“Regardless of this particular incident or other similar incidents, we rely on the importance of reconciliation both in the context of the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and in the context of ensuring the rights and security of the people of Karabakh,” said Zakharova.
She also emphasized the importance of the immediate opening of Lachin corridor, a position that Moscow has articulated more vocally during the past several weeks.
“We are working with the parties and once again reaffirm the need to immediately unblock the Lachin corridor and ensure normal conditions for the life of the local population,” added Zakharova.
She added that a lot depends on the political will and willingness to make compromises in this matter.
In addressing the fact that a convoy of trucks carrying 400 tons of humanitarian assistance to Artsakh from Armenia has been stranded at the Hakari Bridge for more than a week, Zakharova said that the Russian peacekeeping contingent is “searching for solutions” and is contact with both sides.
She warned, however, that accusations being made against the Russian peacekeepers are counterproductive “and do not reflect their real contribution to efforts of stabilizing the situation on the ground.”
Zakharova also stressed said that Armenia had not coordinated the delivery of the humanitarian aid with Azerbaijan, in a sense negating the fact that the Lachin Corridor, per the November 9, 2020 agreement, must remain open to traffic and be under the control of the Russian peacekeepers.
Zakharova’s strongest rebuke of Pashinyan came in reference to the prime minister’s statements last month that the European Union and especially the United States have played the leading role in international efforts to end the Karabakh conflict lately. Pashinyan said that because of “the events in Ukraine” the Russians cannot invest as much “energy and time” in conflict mediation as they did before.
Pashinyan also suggested that a “productive” dialogue between the Azerbaijani government and Karabakh’s leadership could lead to the withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping contingent from the Armenian-populated region.
Zakharova said the Armenian leader’s remarks are “devoid of any factual basis,” arguing that in recent months Moscow has organized “a series” of high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani talks, including Pashinyan’s May 25 meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have been and remain fully interested in furthering the process of normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations,” Zakharova said at the press briefing.. “We are doing everything to achieve a lasting peace and stability in the region.”
The foreign ministry spokesperson also called Pashinyan’s comments about the possible end of the Russian peacekeepers’ presence in Artsakh “incomprehensible.”
“Is this a wish?” she said. “I don’t understand Mr. Pashinyan. What is he talking about?”
“Does the leadership of Armenia think that [the peacekeepers’] activity is not necessary and desirable and wants to end it?” Zakharova went on. “They need to set the record straight.”
“Unfortunately, we can see that often times representatives of Armenia’s leadership adopt an equivocal, so to speak, position on a number of key issues. We therefore very much want to see no ambiguity on this score because juggling with words does not end well,” Zakharova said.
“And generally speaking, after the Armenian leadership recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory, any complaints about Russia not making enough efforts look all the more inappropriate,” added Zakharova.
