Lavrov Confirms Existence of Phased Settlement Plan for Karabakh, Mnatsakanyan Hurries to Refute It

Moscow / 21.04.20 / Turan: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made a serious statement on Karabakh settlement on Monday, speaking in Moscow at round table of the Club for Supporting Public Diplomacy. Answering a question about the possibility of implementing the four well-known UN Security Council resolutions on Karabakh, he said the parties are currently discussing a settlement option involving the liberation of the territories around Karabakh and a phased resolution of the conflict.

“There are Madrid Principles, as well as documents that were prepared by the Russian Federation in 2010-2011 - the so-called Kazan Document. There are projects that were distributed a year ago at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan with the participation of the co-chairs in Moscow.

They are now being actively discussed. These documents presuppose progress towards a settlement on the basis of a phased approach, providing at the first stage for the solution of the most pressing problems - the liberation of several areas around Nagorno-Karabakh and the unblocking of transport, economic and other communications.

I am convinced that when we come to the decision on signing these documents, this will be the most important step in implementing the UN Security Council resolutions," Lavrov said.

This is the first official recognition by Russia of the so-called “Lavrov Plan,” the existence of which has been stubbornly refuted by official Yerevan for two years now.

A few hours after Lavrov’s speech, Armenian Foreign Minister Mnatsakanyan, in a manner peculiar only to Armenians, to deny the obvious, reiterated that such a plan was not discussed.

So, at a briefing in Yerevan, Mnatsakanyan said that for two years the government and the Prime Minister did not hide anything from the public. According to him, the phased option was discussed in 2014 and 2016 (that is, by the previous authorities) and they are unacceptable to Armenians.

“Since 2018, discussions have been going around the parties' approaches on individual elements. Option 2014 is not on the conference table. We more than specifically spoke about our positions where the priority is the security of the people of Artsakh. As for the territories, the Armenian parties cannot even suggest a revision, jeopardizing the security of the people of Artsakh,” the Minister said.

He emphasized that along with security, the priority is the realization of the principle of self-determination, which means free expression of will without any restrictions.

"There have not been and will not be unilateral concessions. On the Armenian side there will not be such an approach that involves a violation of security and the creation of threats to the people of Artsakh."

From the words of Mnatsakanyan it follows that Yerevan does not accept the Lavrov’s Plan and does not abandon its idea to achieve independence of Karabakh and not to return the territories occupied around it. -02B-