Lavrov exposes another Armenian lie

Igor Popov, the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) co-chair from Russia, never said that Nagorno-Karabakh must return to the negotiating table on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan NagornoKarabakh conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on June 7.

He made the remarks answering a question by an Armenian journalist at a joint press conference with Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan in Moscow.

The journalist, referring to the statement by the OSCE MG cochairs, in particular Popov, who allegedly said that at a certain stage Nagorno-Karabakh must be returned to the negotiation process, asked about Russia’s position on this issue and whether NagornoKarabakh will soon return to the negotiations.

“Russia’s position remains unchanged. It has always been the position of resolving the NagornoKarabakh issue through the OSCE Minsk Group, to which Armenia, along with Azerbaijan and other states, is a party. We are convinced that this is the optimal format, and as one of the three co-chairs of the Minsk Group, together with the cochairs from France and the U.S., we pursue a common interest and consistent line to create conditions that would allow Baku and Yerevan to agree,” Lavrov said. “This work has been going on for many years, and there were different stages. At some stage, by the way, representatives of NagornoKarabakh participated in this process. Then, by the agreement of the parties, the format was changed and now we have it as it is. Mr. Popov never said that Nagorno-Karabakh must return to the negotiating table. So, please, be more careful. If the parties agree at some stage that Nagorno-Karabakh is again represented at the talks, it will be their decision and we will respect this decision,” the Russian FM noted.

Earlier in the day, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan once again made a provocative statement in the parliament on the need to return the separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh as a party to the negotiations in the conflict settlement process.

During the press conference, Lavrov also mentioned that Russia will continue to assist the sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in its settlement.

“Russia, both in the context of our bilateral relations with Yerevan and Baku, and as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, together with the U.S. and French counterparts, will continue to assist the parties in finding mutually acceptable solutions,” he said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including NagornoKarabakh and seven adjacent regions.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, but they have not been enforced to this day.