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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Lavrov chides statements contradicting Karabakh agreements as not being alternatives

Any issues, which might run counter to the agreements of the three leaders cannot be perceived as an alternative to what had been agreed on, the Russian top diplomat said

YEREVAN, May 6. /TASS/. Any statements running counter to the agreements between the Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders on unblocking economic ties in Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be viewed as an alternative to the current agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s remark on creating the Zangezur corridor.

"As for trilateral cooperation at the level of deputy prime ministers, this mechanism was created based on the decision of the Russian and Azerbaijani presidents and the Armenian prime minister following their January 11 meeting in Moscow. This mechanism provides for agreements that can be entirely voluntary, mutually beneficial and in no way imply anything other than diplomatic consent and solutions that would allow economic relations to be completely unblocked. Any issues, which might run counter to the agreements of the three leaders cannot be perceived as an alternative to what had been agreed on," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Armenia’s top diplomat Ara Ayvazyan.

The Zangezur corridor is set to link Azerbaijan’s mainland with Nakhichevan through Zangezur (Armenia’s Syunik Province). On April 20, Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijan’s state television that Baku would achieve the creation of the corridor regardless of Armenia’s wish and in the event of its resistance it would be ready to iron out the issue by force. The Armenian Foreign Ministry condemned the statement, noting that it dealt a serious blow to regional peace and stability. Moscow called on the sides to refrain from revanchist and militarist rhetoric, which "could again put the region on the verge of war.".

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