Moscow warns West against attempts to rock Baku-Yerevan dialogue

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the situation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation process.

The statement expresses "serious concern over the situation in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh, the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact and the dialogue between official Baku and Yerevan," Caliber.Az reports quoting the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We note with extreme concern the increase in the number of ceasefire violations and incidents of various kinds, which regularly result in casualties on both sides. We consider the increased degree of accusatory and aggressive rhetoric in the public space of Azerbaijan and Armenia to be no less dangerous. In the context of the latest developments on 23 April, we note in particular the unacceptability of any unilateral steps in violation of the basic provisions of the trilateral statement by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, whether we are talking about an uncoordinated change in the regime of the ‘Lachin corridor’ or about attempts to use it for purposes that are not in keeping with the peace agenda.

“We urge the parties to return immediately to existing agreements. We believe that in any case the local population must not suffer and no obstacles must be created to their livelihoods.”

“We believe that many of the problems that have arisen are the result of months of stalling and lack of progress in the negotiation process on the main tracks of the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the unblocking of transport communications in the region, the launch of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border delimitation process and agreement on the parameters of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We hope that Baku and Yerevan will show political will and manage to overcome this negative dynamic in the near future.”

The ministry said Russia is ready to provide all the necessary assistance to Azerbaijan and Armenia, which are close to it, both politically and "on the ground", with the participation of the Russian peacekeepers’ command staff.

“We also warn external Western players and local Russophobe elements on their opportunistic agenda against attempts to unbalance the situation, including through a smear campaign against Russia," the statement said.