Putin rules out pressure on Baku, Yerevan
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said
Moscow was ready to support a settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh, but could not pressure
either party to the long-standing dispute.
"If we put pressure on either country, we could be at fault. We maintain good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. We could simply back international consultations," Putin told a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Russia co-chairs the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, along with the United States and France.
According to the Russian prime minister, Baku and Yerevan could reach a solution suitable for both sides through dialog.
"The solution of such problems must be based on a consensus to be reached by the conflicting sides. Azerbaijan and Armenia should, themselves, state the nuances that would be acceptable for them, while other countries acting as mediators in this conflict could only provide guarantees for the agreements reached."
Putin added that a solution of the Garabagh conflict "requires patience and efforts" due to its being an extremely complicated dispute.
"If we put pressure on either country, we could be at fault. We maintain good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. We could simply back international consultations," Putin told a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, including Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent districts, has been under Armenian occupation for nearly two decades. Russia co-chairs the mediating OSCE Minsk Group, along with the United States and France.
According to the Russian prime minister, Baku and Yerevan could reach a solution suitable for both sides through dialog.
"The solution of such problems must be based on a consensus to be reached by the conflicting sides. Azerbaijan and Armenia should, themselves, state the nuances that would be acceptable for them, while other countries acting as mediators in this conflict could only provide guarantees for the agreements reached."
Putin added that a solution of the Garabagh conflict "requires patience and efforts" due to its being an extremely complicated dispute.
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