Kremlin clarifies nature of talks between Russia, West on Karabakh issue
According to Dmitry Peskov, certain contact on the Karabakh issue did take place, but it wasn't about the talks that were described in the media
MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Russia had certain contact with the West on the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh but the Politico media outlet's characterization of these talks was inaccurate, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Politico wrote earlier, citing a senior diplomat and officials from the US and the EU, that representatives of the European Union, the United States and Russia had allegedly held "undisclosed emergency talks" on the situation in Karabakh in Istanbul on September 17, days before tensions flared up again in the region.
"It wasn’t like they described it. There are a lot of inaccuracies and mistakes in the report. Certain contact on the Karabakh issue did take place, but it wasn't about the talks that were described in the article," Peskov pointed out, when asked if the Kremlin could confirm that such negotiations had indeed been held.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in turn, said that Brussels and Washington had contacted Moscow for a meeting on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue before the crisis erupted. The diplomat explained at a briefing on Wednesday that Russia, the US and the EU had held a routine exchange of views on Karabakh.
On September 19, tensions flared up again in Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku announced the start of a military operation. Yerevan, in turn, described what was happening as "an act of large-scale aggression." Russia called on the parties to end the bloodshed and return to efforts to resolve the issue diplomatically. On September 20, a ceasefire agreement was reached through the mediation of Russia’s peacekeeping mission. Azerbaijani officials and representatives of Karabakh Armenians met in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh on September 21 to discuss reintegration issues.
President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree on September 28 to dissolve the unrecognized state from January 1, 2024. Its people were urged to consider the terms of reintegration in Azerbaijan, which were offered by Baku, and stay put if they choose to do so.