Russian intel chief: Azerbaijan, Armenia seek independent solutions for peace, rejecting US, EU mediation

Armenia and Azerbaijan prefer to resolve all issues independently and are not particularly inclined to heed the recommendations of the US and the EU on peaceful settlement, said Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

The United States is losing initiative on all fronts, and in the post-Soviet space, Washington is experiencing failures, he said, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"The American 'obsession' with Ukraine is beginning to have a destructive impact on the entire global financial and military-political system built by Washington. The US is losing initiative on all fronts, from the Middle East to Asia and Africa. And on the post-Soviet space, they are experiencing outright setbacks," Naryshkin said.

According to Naryshkin, the post-Soviet space remains a priority target for attacks by US and British intelligence services, as evidenced by the analysis of data available to the SVR.

"The West has set itself the ambitious goal of not only severing economic and political ties but also deep historical and humanitarian connections between our countries. This approach stems from the well-known maxim of the Anglo-Saxons: 'Whoever controls Eurasia controls the world.' However, for them, 'control' means 'divide,' 'sow chaos,' and then offer themselves as 'impartial guarantors of security' to the weakened peoples. How this happens is clearly visible in the case of Ukraine," the head of the SVR noted.

Notably, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev recently named four reasons hindering the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal: "Unfortunately, the deep-rooted hatred towards our people in Armenian society, the myths of a 'greater Armenia', the territorial claims against Azerbaijan still embedded in the Armenian constitution, and the rapid armament of this country hinder the lasting peace between the two countries."

The liberation in 2020 and 2023 of Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation and the full restoration of sovereignty in all Azerbaijani territories have created opportunities for peace between the two countries. However, Armenia's position on respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan remains ambiguous.

The Declaration of Independence adopted by Armenia on August 23, 1990, refers to an act of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR of December 1, 1989, which considered Karabakh as a constituent part of Armenia. This assertion was later reflected in the preamble of the Constitution adopted on July 5, 1995, and was maintained during its amendments on November 27, 2005 and December 6, 2015.

By Khagan Isayev