Today.Az » Politics » Sergey Lavrov: "Armenia is, in fact, blocked due to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict"
07 October 2008 [11:59] - Today.Az
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Turkey may help Armenia in the restoration of the blocked relations of this country with the external world.
He made this announcement in his interview to the Rossiyskaya qazeta newspaper, when he was asked to comment on the situation in the Caucasus. The interview was given before Lavrov's visit to Armenia.
Speaking of high diplomatic activeness in the region, Sergey Lavrov said: "There are indeed deep interests of each participant of this process. Armenian ones are absolutely clear as the country has been blocked due to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Armenia has great difficulties in communicating with external world. Armenian people would benefit from the soonest resolution of the situation".
"In reality there are few geographical and political ways out. As soon as Nagorno karabakh conflict is settled, Turkey will be ready to help Armenia to set normal relations with the external world, naturally through establishment of official, diplomatic relations between Ankara and Yerevan.
A very good chance to progress in Nagorno Karabakh conflict has appeared via the direct meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the presence of the mediators, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group: Russia, France and the United States. A complete document, fixing almost all principles and mechanisms of settlement has been developed", continued the Russian Foreign Minister.
According to Lavrov, two or three issues subject to coordination at the next meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan remain unsettled.
"As we know, such meetings will be held following the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan. First of all, we will discuss the Lachin corridor. And we, being one of the three mediators, feel that the settlement is really possible. Certainly, that is Azerbaijan and Armenia, which will have to settle this problem in the framework of direct agreements, but mediators: Russian, US and French, who are well aware of the details and sensitivity of this process, see the possibility of the settlement.
As for the Turkish factor, that is its intensification, it is connected with the sharp deterioration of the geopolitical consequences of the Caucasus crisis. Russia had no intentions to undertake anything geopolitical, when it all happened. Our main goal was to protect the life of civilians, protect Russian peacekeepers and this aim was attained by those measures, which were necessary without going beyond the frames of the proportionality of response. It is all well-known.
"But the problems which Armenian sustained during this crisis, especially the problems with the stable transit of goods via Georgia, goods which are vitally important for the Armenian people, stress the absolute need and urgency for the soonest resolution. The situation, when South Ossetia and Abkhazia are under permanent threat of attack is not profitable for anyone and it will retain the threat of the suspension of this vitally important transit for Armenia", considers the Russian Minister.
"For Armenian side it is important to avoid such problems. This is the reason of Yerevan's interest in the soonest settlement of the Karabakh conflict, which will become a means for not only the normalization of ties with Turkey but also opening of ties with the external world via Turkey.
As for Turkey, the events fix the traditional line of Ankara for ensuring the right of the regional countries as for the search of the solutions of the problems of the Caucasus and the adjacent regions. I think, Turks were in time to realize the uniqueness of this moment. The uniqueness that allows them to signify their presence in this region. They are direct neighbors of the Caucasus and at the same time a country which has good relations with almost all the Caucasus countries. Turkey's idea that the regional countries should think over a certain stability and security platform, reflects the experience of the Turkish diplomacy", said the Russian FM.
"I think that combination of the factors of the improved understanding by Armenia of the sensitivity of its state in case a conflict situation remains in the Caucasus and Turkey's awareness of the uniqueness of the current moment, along with the existing proposals of the Minsk Group co-chairs creates a critical mass for finding the solution", said Lavrov.
Lavrov visited Armenia on October 3.
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