13:38, 19 May 2021

Russia offers mediation in demarcation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border

An Armenian soldier on active duty. Photo by the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Defence

To resolve the conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan should set up a commission to fix the border; Moscow is ready to act as a mediator, said Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 14, Armenia asked for military help from its allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), accusing Azerbaijan of penetrating the country. Minister Lavrov said that Moscow would provide help in resolving the tension, if both parties ask for it. This statement became a de facto refusal to provide help to Armenia, analysts in Yerevan believe.

Russia has proposed to create, within the framework of the CSTO, an Armenian-Azerbaijani commission to demarcate the border, Mr Lavrov said.

The Armenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that additional positions were deployed in the border areas in Syunik and Gegarkunik in case of a conflict aggravation. According to the MoD, Azerbaijani militaries are completely controlled by Armenia. The Armenian MoD insists that the only peaceful solution is the opponent's retreat to initial positions, the "Sputnik-Armenia" reports.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 19, 2021 at 10:46 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.