Russia welcomes the US-brokered peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but warned that foreign interference could complicate the situation in the South Caucasus, Reuters reported.
The agreement, signed yesterday during a meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev, in Washington in the presence of their US counterpart, Donald Trump, includes exclusive rights for the United States to develop the transport corridor through Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan with its enclave of Nakhichevan bordering Turkey.
Moscow positively assesses the meeting, hoping that it will help establish peace, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by TASS.
„We consistently support all efforts that help achieve the key goal for regional security. In this regard, the meeting of the leaders of the South Caucasian republics in Washington with the mediation of the American side deserves a positive assessment. We hope that this step will help achieve the peace agenda“, the diplomat noted. She added that reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan should be based on the balance of interests of the parties and fit into the regional context.
“Reconciliation between the two countries should fit into the regional context and be based on the balance of interests and unconditional respect for the priorities of the parties and neighboring states“, Zakharova noted. She stressed that the best option for resolving regional issues lies in “searching for and further implementing solutions developed by the countries of the region themselves with the support of their immediate neighbors Russia, Iran and Turkey“.
“The participation of extra-regional players should work to strengthen the peace agenda, and not create additional difficulties and dividing lines. We would like to avoid the sad experience of Western assistance in resolving conflicts in the Middle East. Examples in the South Caucasus include the presence of the EU observer mission in Armenia, whose activities constantly irritate other regional players“, Zakharova added.