Russia has nothing to do with the decision of Ruben Vardanyan to go to Karabakh and engage in political activities there, stated on Friday the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference following talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

“Mr. Vardanyan has nothing to do with Russia, the Russian authorities have nothing to do with him, at his request a presidential decree was signed the other day, he is no longer a citizen of Russia, and any cases related to his decision to go to Karabakh and to start participating in some kind of political life there, we did not have, do not have and are not going to have,” TACC quoted Lavrov as saying.

He called the situation in Karabakh difficult and urged to take into account the public opinion of all the parties involved – Azerbaijani, Armenian, Karabakh and Russian. He rejected reproaches against Russian peacekeepers who work in very difficult conditions, given that claims are being made against them from three sides.

Russian peacekeepers are working hourly to resolve the situation in the Lachin corridor and are in contact with the parties. “We are in favor of restoring full-fledged transport links as soon as possible and resolving disagreements on the development of ore deposits in the region,” Lavrov added.

He further said that despite the cancellation of the visit of the Armenian Foreign Minister, the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan discussed issues of a peace treaty. “We believe that everything must be done to bring the positions of the parties closer together. At a certain stage, it seemed that the Azerbaijani proposals, which were positively received by the Armenian side, would create the basis for an appropriate legal document. The need for the Russian Federation to assist the negotiation process is recognized by our friends, moreover , this need is fixed in a trilateral statement following the results of the trilateral summit in Sochi on October 31 this year,” Lavrov said.

Jeyhun Bayramov stated that Azerbaijan demands that Ruben Vardanyan leave Karabakh.

“His activities are of a criminal and adventurous nature. We believe that this should be put to an end. And the sooner this person leaves this region, the better it will be for everyone, the local population suffers first of all,” Bayramov said, naming Vardanyan “alien element” for the region

Source: Turan News Agency