Why does Russia seek to disrupt the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia?

Baku/17.07.23 /Turan: The 6th meeting between European Council President Charles Michel, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took place in Brussels on July 15.

In his statement, Charles Michel expressed his intention to hold the next two meetings in the autumn, one in Brussels and another in Granada, with the participation of the leaders of France and Germany.

The issues discussed during the trilateral meeting included sovereignty and territorial integrity, border delimitation, transport corridors, humanitarian supplies, rights and security, and prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement during the meeting between Aliyev and Pashinyan, noting that Armenia's recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory has significantly changed the conditions for the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the region.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded to the Russian statement, expressing disappointment and stating that it contradicts the declaration of allied cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as President Vladimir Putin's statements in support of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The ministry emphasized that the interpretation and conditioning of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the recognition of Karabakh by the Prime Minister of Armenia, which has occupied Azerbaijani territories for almost 30 years, is unacceptable.

The ministry also pointed out that despite Azerbaijan's warnings about illegal activities on the Lachin road, such as transportation of military goods and mines, rotation of illegal military formations, and illegal entry of third-country nationals into the territory, no steps have been taken to address these actions.

Political commentator Rauf Mirkadyrov commented on the trilateral meeting and Russia's statement, expressing that negotiations face difficulties mainly due to Russia's influence.

According to Mirkadyrov, the parties are hesitant to sign any document that might irritate Russia. He also highlighted the unclear positions of the parties, citing Azerbaijan's disagreement with delimitation based on 1975 maps without providing an alternative proposal.

Mirkadyrov emphasized the importance of disarming illegal armed groups in Karabakh and noted that Pashinyan avoids discussing this issue due to potential internal problems and risks.