Russian diplomat calls for resumption of Baku-Yerevan-Moscow format to establish peace in South Caucasus

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that the resumption of Azerbaijan-Armenia-Russia trilateral cooperation would contribute to peace.

She made the remarks during a briefing, commenting on recent remarks by the foreign ministers of Armenia and Russia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV that Yerevan, Ankara, and Baku have never been closer to peace than they are now.

In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, expressed Russia’s readiness to assist the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process and the conclusion of a peace treaty. He emphasized the importance of implementing the full set of trilateral agreements reached by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia between 2020 and 2022.

“The agreements reached at the highest level remain fully relevant... A swift resumption of full-fledged interaction in the trilateral format would certainly contribute to the establishment of lasting peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus,” Zakharova said.

According to her, Moscow is ready to assist both Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts in all key areas. Russia, she noted, has well-developed proposals for unblocking transportation and economic links within the framework of the specialized trilateral working group co-chaired by the deputy prime ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

“We are ready to share our expertise in border delimitation and demarcation. Our specialists in this area are considered among the best in the post-Soviet space,” Zakharova noted.

She stressed that Moscow also possesses unique cartographic material and could help resolve long-standing humanitarian issues stemming from the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

“We are always glad to assist our Azerbaijani and Armenian friends in advancing the normalization process,” she added.

Earlier, Mirzoyan also stated that Türkiye could play a positive role in the resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

By Khagan Isayev