Russia on Thursday blamed Armenia for a breakdown in peace talks with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area, within the newest signal of friction between allies Moscow and Yerevan over the battle.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have for months been in talks to dealer a peace deal over Nagorno-Karabakh – a breakaway enclave internationally recognised as a part of Azerbaijan however dwelling to a primarily Armenian inhabitants.
For the previous month, Azeris claiming to be environmental activists have blocked transport alongside the one street linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in what Yerevan has referred to as a government-endorsed blockade. Baku says the protesters have reliable issues over unlawful Armenian mining, and have denied that the area is below blockade.
In a press release on Thursday, Russia blamed Armenia for cancelling peace talks between the 2 sides and referred to as on Yerevan to come back again to the negotiating desk.
“It is difficult to assess Yerevan’s position when their official statements differ so significantly,” Russian overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
She stated Yerevan’s choice to drag out of peace talks scheduled final December in Moscow “prevented us from discussing the peace treaty”, including: “If our Armenian partners are really interested in solving these problems … then instead of engaging in scholasticism, it is necessary to continue working together.”
Officials in Yerevan have grown more and more offended at Russia – formally an ally via a mutual self defence treaty – for not doing extra to finish the blockade.
Under a peace deal signed in 2020, Russia deployed a peacekeeping contingent to the area and Azerbaijan agreed to make sure free motion alongside the Lachin Corridor that hyperlinks Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia says Azerbaijan just isn’t abiding by that settlement and needs Russian peacekeepers to do extra to dislodge the protesters. Moscow has stated it’s doing every little thing it could actually to assist.
