Support The Moscow Times!

Russia to Assist Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks – Lavrov

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands during a meeting. Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service / TASS

Russia said Thursday it was ready to broker a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as Moscow seeks to reassert its influence on the world stage after invading Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with his Armenian counterpart in the capital Yerevan on Thursday, reaffirming Moscow's willingness to help negotiate a deal following the 2020 war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Increasingly isolated Russia has lost its status as mediator in the decades-long territorial dispute between the two ex-Soviet republics.

The European Union is leading the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process, which involves peace talks, border delimitation, and the reopening of transport links.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels in April and May for talks on a future peace treaty mediated by European Council President Charles Michel, and have agreed to "advance discussions."

Lavrov told a press conference on Thursday: "we confirm our readiness to assist the signing of a peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku."

"The process is under way and we are ready to participate as mediators, advisors, and a contributing party."

In autumn 2020, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over Karabakh in a war that claimed more than 6,500 lives, before ending with a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

The deal — which saw Yerevan cede swathes of territory it had controlled for decades and Russian peacekeepers deployed to oversee the truce — was regarded as source of national humiliation in Armenia.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more