MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. The Armenian opposition is trying to speculate on the Karabakh ceasefire accords, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Russian and foreign media on Thursday.
"We see protests that have now erupted in Yerevan and we see how much the opposition is trying to speculate on this situation," Russia’s top diplomat said.
As the Russian foreign minister said, "there are, of course, sincere people there who are probably offended that everything is ending like this at this stage."
"Although, there shouldn’t have been any illusions that the seven districts around Nagorno-Karabakh should forever remain in the position they were a month, a month and a half or two months ago," Lavrov pointed out.
"I believe that the responsible authorities should have explained to the population that at some stage this settlement would have to be implemented in accordance with the principles that had been on the table for many years, had been proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and that opened, as I believe, an ideal way for settling this conflict without any bloodshed and without any damage to the security of whosoever in that region, first of all, of course, Karabakh Armenians and other ethnic groups living in Karabakh and from the countries of the region," the Russian foreign minister said.
Russia’s top diplomat said he believed that "unblocking all communications: transport and economic links should play a big positive role for the region’s revival, including for the recovery of the Armenian economy that suffered more than others due to the termination of trade and transport links of Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic."
"Now, in compliance with the deal that has come into force, all these links are being restored. The economy should breathe freely and transport links with Armenian partners should appear," Lavrov pointed out.
On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a full ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. As the Russian leader said, Azerbaijani and Armenian forces will remain at their current positions while Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to the region.
Overall, 1,960 personnel, 90 armored personnel carriers and 380 motor and special vehicles will be airlifted for deploying the peacekeeping contingent in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh will basically comprise units of the 15th separate motor rifle (peacekeeping) brigade of the Central Military District, the ministry said.
The Russian peacekeepers will set up observation posts along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects Armenia with the enclave to exercise control of the ceasefire observance. The peacekeeping mission’s command will be stationed in the area of Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh, the ministry specified.