Russia will host the highest Azerbaijani and Armenian diplomats on Friday to debate the decision of the decadeslong dispute between the 2 neighbors.
The assembly follows a number of rounds of talks led by the European Union and the United States.
Brussels and Washington’s elevated diplomatic engagement within the Caucasus has irked conventional regional power-broker Russia.
A gathering involving the international ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan “will take place in Moscow on May 19,” Russian international ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova instructed reporters.
Before the trilateral talks the Armenian and Azerbaijani international ministers, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, are anticipated to debate a draft peace treaty, she mentioned.
Yerevan has grown more and more annoyed over what it calls Moscow’s failure to guard Armenia within the face of a army risk from Azerbaijan.
With Russia slowed down in Ukraine and unwilling to pressure ties with Azerbaijan’s key ally Türkiye, the United States and European Union have sought to steer the talks.
On Sunday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels for a brand new spherical of talks hosted by European Council President Charles Michel.
Another assembly between Pashinian and Aliyev was set for June 1 in Moldova and is predicted to contain French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Relations between the 2 former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian army occupied Karabakh, which is internationally acknowledged as a part of Azerbaijan, and 7 adjoining areas.
Most of the territory was liberated by Baku throughout a warfare within the fall of 2020 which ended after a Russian-brokered peace settlement and opened the door to normalization.
However, the institution of a checkpoint on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia within the South Caucasus area final month sparked tensions.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry mentioned the border checkpoint was created in response to safety threats from Armenia, citing the switch of weapons and ammunition to the Karabakh area. Yerevan denied the costs.
Washington mentioned beforehand that it was “deeply concerned” by Azerbaijan establishing a checkpoint on the Lachin hall.
Although Russia brokered the final important deal between the 2 sides and now maintains troops in Karabakh, it has been extra not too long ago preoccupied with the battle in Ukraine.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
