Russian Foreign Ministry official representative Maria Zakharova, commenting on statements attributed to Sergei Lavrov by the Azerbaijani side, called for relying exclusively on Moscow’s position, rather than on other interpretations.
“As for the quotes attributed to Russia’s minister, I would ask you to draw your attention and direct these questions to the sources from which this information was obtained. So, frankly speaking, I would not even address it,” Zakharova said.
As for the process of settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, during Lavrov’s meeting with the Azerbaijani side, according to Zakharova, the previously voiced fundamental principles of conflict resolution were discussed, including the resolution of status-related issues of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the liberation of the territories surrounding them.
“Everyone knows very well Russia’s position on the issue of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, and I ask that you be guided by that position itself, and not by various interpretations made by the non-Russian side,” Zakharova concluded.
Reaffirming that one should follow only Russia’s official statement, Zakharova noted that in official reporting there is no mention of any idea regarding the return of the 5 districts.
Let us recall that on 23 September, a parliamentary delegation headed by Milli Majlis chair Sahiba Gafarova met with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
After the meeting, Azerbaijani news sites had spread information that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a meeting in Moscow with the delegation headed by Azerbaijani parliament chair S. Gafarova, had declared that “Russia has expressed support for the return of the 5 Artsakh districts to Azerbaijan,” and that “Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s position regarding the Karabakh crisis hinders the resolution of the peace process.”
