REMARKS AND RESPONSE TO MEDIA QUESTIONS BY RUSSIAN FM LAVROV FOLLOWING TALK WITH FM NALBANDIAN
States News Service
July 6, 2011 Wednesday
SERGEY LAVROV AT JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING TALKS WITH ARMENIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN, MOSCOW, JULY 6, 2011
The following information was released by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Russian Federation:
I would like to express my satisfaction over the talks with my Armenian
counterpart Edward Agvanovich Nalbandian. We traditionally exchange
views and coordinate our positions in a constructive, trustful, allied
spirit. It was from this vantage point that we reviewed implementation
of the agreements that had been reached during the regular meetings
between the Russian and Armenian presidents. We attested to the intense
nature of bilateral relations, the strengthening of the legal framework
of our interaction, and we note the steady trend towards enhancement
and buildup of the economic foundation of our cooperation.
Trade has regained its pre-crisis level, and it continues to
grow. Our respective agencies and economic operators are implementing
progressively an array of large-scale joint investment projects.
Conducive to Russian-Armenian relations are, of course, humanitarian
and inter-regional contacts, which traditionally enjoy the widest
possible support of our citizens.
To be sure, international issues, the situation in the regions adjacent
to Russia and Armenia occupy a significant place in our dialogue. We
spoke for continuing the active participation of our two countries
in the integration processes in the Commonwealth of Independent
States area. We confirmed our intention to improve our cooperation
and coordination both bilaterally and within the framework of the CIS
and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, in the formats of the
UN, OSCE, the Council of Europe and other international organizations
and forums.
The situation in Transcaucasia has always been a part of our talks.
Today, we exchanged views on the outcome of the meeting between the
presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which took place on
June 24 in Kazan, where issues related to the development of the
basic principles for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
were examined. We attested to the fact that the presidents declared
in Kazan the harmonization of a number of important issues, helpful
towards creating the conditions for a final agreement on the basic
principles, and this work will continue, I expect, in the near future.
So we looked at, as I said, all key aspects of the agenda of bilateral
relations and cooperation in the international arena, and agreed on
a schedule of consultations between our two foreign ministries for
the second half of the year. We consider it necessary to strengthen
and develop our interaction.
Question: Even after the statement made in Deauville on
Nagorno-Karabakh, in which the Russian, US and French presidents
indicated that the use of force again would be condemned by the
international community, urging leaders of both sides to prepare the
population for peace, not war, threats continue to be heard from
Baku to use force and prepare for a new war. Azerbaijan virtually
ignores the opinion of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries,
opposing itself to the opinion of the international community. How
could you comment on that?
In the context of the Kazan meeting, what steps are expected to be
expeditiously undertaken to advance the negotiation process?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: I would like to clearly stress right away that
Russia sticks to the positions set forth in the statement adopted in
Deauville by the Russian, US and French presidents and also approved
in the last few years by the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan with
the participation of the President of the Russian Federation. These
documents not only confirm the commitment to a peaceful settlement,
but also include the agreements on measures to reduce tensions, build
confidence and prevent incidents along the line of contact. The leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan assumed these commitments, as I said, with
participation by the President of the Russian Federation. Just the
other day, regular OSCE monitoring of the situation on the line of
contact took place. The report presented at Vienna by the mission
which did the monitoring shows that the number of incidents is
decreasing. This is a positive trend. We will do everything to make it
stronger, and to ensure that the agreements I mentioned are respected.
With regard to further steps, Dmitry Medvedev, as a mediator in the
negotiation process, and acting with the full support of the US and
French presidents as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, has completed
analysis of the post-Kazan situation and will soon take his decision
on further steps.
Question: (addressed to both ministers): How effective do you think is
the format of the OSCE Minsk Group? Are there plans to replace it? If
yes, then by what? Is consideration being given to the possibility
of participation of regional countries like Turkey and Iran in it?
Lavrov: The OSCE Minsk Group, formed, as I recall, at the end of the
1994 Minsk Conference, includes a large number of states. However,
in recent years, the real tool in the negotiation process is not the
Minsk Group as such, but its co-chairs. Initially, its composition
was different – two, then three, and the current co-chairs were not
in that trio. Now it has become permanent in the current format of
the three co-chairs, namely Russia, the USA and France. On their
behalf the special representatives vigorously and routinely work on
finding solutions to issues in the context not only of the negotiation
process itself, but also of confidence and security building measures
on the line of contact. I have already said about it. The co-chairs
meet regularly with the parties, and visit Baku and Yerevan and
Stepanakert. They have achieved a very good rapport.
Two years ago, President Dmitry Medvedev, taking into account the
special ties of Russia with Armenia and Azerbaijan, on behalf of
the co-chairs took the initiative to hold in a trilateral format
(the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan), a series of
consultations with a view to finding concrete agreements on the basic
principles for a settlement. This initiative was supported.
Essentially, we have reached the point where decisions must be made.
I do not think that talk about changing the mediation format,
especially at this critical phase, will be productive. It only creates
the illusion that if the format is changed, the content will sort
itself out. As a rule, ideas to constantly modify the mediation
format divert attention from the substance. This also applies to
other situations. For example, there are a lot of plans to change the
format of Transnistrian conflict settlement. I think this is all the
work of the devil. The main thing is the political will of the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs, recognized by the parties as mediators. And
that’s the basis to proceed.