Lavrov outlined what the Armenians of Karabakh can count on

Baku/20.03.23/Turan: Security guarantees for the Armenians of Karabakh should be discussed between representatives of Khankandi and Baku, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 20 at a joint press conference with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan.

“Guarantees of security of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, ensuring their rights should be resolved between representatives of Karabakh and Baku. We encourage the parties to do so. Armenia is also interested in this,” Lavrov said.

At the same time, he remind examples of "very recent history" when such problems were not resolved.

“The Minsk agreements were about the same things, what kind of rights should have residents of the eastern part of Ukraine: this is the right to their native language, to teach children in this language, to live and work using it, to preserve their culture , religion, have the opportunity for local self-government and have special economic and trade ties with their compatriots (in the case of the Donbass, it was Russia),” the Russian minister said.

Approximately the same rights, he continued, “were provided for in the agreement signed ten years ago between Belgrade and Pristina on the creation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities of Kosovo: language, local self-government, education, culture, religion, special economic ties with Serbia.”

“Karabakh Armenians will need the same set of rights as in any similar situation: Donbass, and the Serbian regions of Kosovo.  Taking into account  confirmation by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan the provisions of the Alma-Ata Declaration on December 21, 1991, it's not difficult to do as it seems. Everything will depend on how decent are those who have to fulfill the agreements reached,” Lavrov continued.

At the same time, he excluded possibility of cooperation with the West in the process of resolving the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“The West has completely discredited itself. We see what goals he pursues in the South Caucasus. He does not hide them, but declares - to tear off Russia,” Lavrov said.

He also announced Yerevan's readiness for a new trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation, its dates will be agreed upon.

According to him, Russia is for "strictly in full, without any improvisations" to implement all the tripartite agreements that were reached between the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia. First of all, the agreements that were signed on the night of November 9-10, 2020—06B-

“The problem of the Lachin corridor should be considered exclusively in this context. Only the full implementation of the aspects of the agreements relating to the Lachin corridor can "resolve" the current situation," Lavrov said.—06B-