Lavrov: I cannot decide for Armenia, for Azerbaijan, for Karabakh (UPDATED)

 The  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan,  and discussed the situation around the Karabakh settlement. Sargsyan accused Azerbaijan of being irresponsible and provoking war. He further stated that Karabakh cannot have anything to do with Azerbaijan, and  blamed the Minsk group for unwillingness to name the culprit in the aggravation of the situation. After all this tirade, Lavrov said that at this stage it is important to calm down and to implement the mechanisms of trust.

"Why  has the situation come to  such a critical point, I cannot decide for Armenia, for Azerbaijan for Karabakh, but I think that if we could move forward  at least a little bit in the political process, if we had, at least outlined the general principles that the parties would have as the basis for the study and  preparation  of  legally binding documents, of course, it would play not only an important role in tying the negotiations, but it would be a deterrent to prevent outbreaks of violence. But, again, the solution can be achieved only by the parties themselves.

We tried,  are trying, and will try to help, along with the co-chairs: the Americans, the French. We have a common position, and, as I understand,  Armenia  supports  it, the Co-Chairs  should continue to serve as the main  point, along with the OSCE, in accordance with the mandate that the parties have agreed to provide this mechanism. And we do not support attempts to seek some kind of parallel channels, to create mechanisms that do not suit the confidence of all parties," said Sergey Lavrov. -0--

2016 April 22 (Friday) 13:48:59

Moscow stands for the strict observance of agreements on permanent ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, said the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan.

"It is essential to strictly observe the ceasefire and to prevent new violations of the agreements of 1994 and 1995, which consolidated and strengthened regime of indefinite ceasefire" Lavrov said.

According to Lavrov, it is necessary to complete the agreement on the OSCE on confidence building measures, détente, and snipers.

"As for the political settlement, we are ready to do everything possible - he said. - We must do everything possible to avoid violence and incidents."

In turn, Edward Nalbandian said the recent developments around Nagorno-Karabakh threw back the negotiation process. "A serious blow was dealt to the security and stability, it is necessary to think about how to overcome the consequences of these events that threw back the negotiation process," said Nalbandian.

When asked what specific steps the Moscow made in the settlement, Lavrov gave an evasive answer, reiterating the need to respect the truce and renunciation of violence, because "this conflict has no military solution."

He also accused Turkey of inciting the clash, claiming that the statements of the Turkish leadership, in fact, have been calling for war and not for peace, "which is absolutely unacceptable."

Lavrov did not assess the actions of Baku, which rejected the settlement option proposed in Kazan in 2011. "As a participant in those events, I can say it is not Armenia that rejected the settlement option," Lavrov said.

Today, Lavrov will meet with the President of Armenia, where the visible and the main discussion will take place. Meanwhile, Lavrov did not show the contours of the very ideas with which he came to Yerevan and on which the situation in the region is based. -02D-