Moscow again accused the European Union of intervening in the process of implementing provisions of agreements it has reached with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan following the 2020 war.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also accused the EU of playing geopolitical games.
Presumably, Moscow’s latest criticism of the EU comes on heels of a meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan hosted by the European Council President Charles Michel. After the meeting, Michel issued a statement announcing that the sides agreed to begin the talks on the process of delimiting and demarcating the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was a key agreement that Pashinyan and Aliyev reached with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Sochi last November.
“We are see persistent attempts by the EU to intervene in the process of trilateral agreements at the highest level,” Zakharova said. “We expect that Brussels will help implement them if it wants to, and not play geopolitical games, but we do not want this.”
Zakharova noted that Russia’s strategic goal is to turn the South Caucasus region into a “zone of stability and prosperity, to promote this process.”
“One of the key tasks on this path is the comprehensive normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku to establish a lasting peace. The basis of efforts in this direction is the trilateral agreements of the leaders, which we have repeatedly spoken about and which are being consistently implemented,” said Zakharova.
“Russia is assisting Yerevan and Baku on all tracks, including unblocking transport communications, border delimitation, establishing public relations, and developing a peace treaty,” Zakharova emphasized.
Similar concerns were voiced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last month when he accused the EU and the United States of encroaching on its efforts to stabilize the region.
Zakharova announced a team of Russian experts has been brought together to work with Armenia and Azerbaijan on the delimitation and demarcation of the border. It was also announced on Wednesday that a second meeting of the commissions formed by both countries will meet in Moscow next week.
“Russia has a unique experise in the field of delimitation and settlement of border disputes in the post-Soviet space,” Zakharova said. “We have the necessary cartographic materials at our disposal, and we will be happy to share our materials and developments with our Armenian and Azerbaijani allies within the framework of the commission’s activities.”
