Russia ready to contribute to Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization, says official

Russia is ready to contribute to the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper.

His comments came after the July 10 meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held in Abu Dhabi, where both sides highlighted the effectiveness of bilateral talks.

"Russia is ready to contribute to the normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan," said the Russian diplomat, adding that the main directions for achieving peace between the two countries are outlined in the trilateral agreements signed by Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan between 2020 and 2022.

According to Galuzin, it is necessary to move forward on preparing a peace treaty, unblocking economic links and transport communications in the region, delimiting borders, and establishing dialogue between civil societies and the parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"And, of course, the Russian side, as one of the participants in the trilateral agreements, is ready to continue supporting their implementation — naturally, in a manner acceptable to both sides," the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister added.

After the July 10 Armenian-Azerbaijani summit, the Foreign Ministry said both sides confirmed that “bilateral negotiations represent the most efficient format to address all issues concerning the normalization process, and on this basis, it was agreed to continue such result-oriented dialogue.”