‘Both sides are afraid of Moscow’
Europe official: “Brussels Azerbaijan–Armenia “It does not agree with Moscow on its steps to normalize relations and does not intend to do so.”
“Brussels Azerbaijan–Armenia “It does not agree with Moscow on its steps to normalize relations and does not intend to do so.”
RFE / RL’s Armenian Service, Azatutyun, reports Europe A senior diplomat who did not want to be named said his union.
According to the diplomat, now both Bakuand Yerevan fears the Kremlin in light of recent geopolitical developments:
“Armenia-Azerbaijan in the matter of relations European Union with Russia There is no movement between the two countries and the EU has no intention of contact with the Russians. Both sides are afraid of Moscow, although they do not make it clear what is happening now, especially in Ukraine. Both sides understand that they can be in the first place. “
The EU diplomat later said:
“Russia may have stopped the war (44-day war-red), but it is clear that the continuation of this process Moscow no, going to Brussels. This is evidenced by the fact that the parties visit Brussels so often. “
Azatutyun writes that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in Brussels for the last six months European Union Council President Charles Michel held three meetings.
Two of these meetings took place after Russia started the war in Ukraine.
Moscow’s nervous reactions
Azatutyun notes that Moscow is openly dissatisfied with Brussels’ mediation efforts to normalize Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.
A few weeks ago Russia In a public statement, the Foreign Ministry accused the West of “attempting to shamelessly take over the subject of high-level Russian-Azerbaijani-Armenian agreements.”
A statement from Moscow said that Washington and Brussels had increased their independent diplomatic activities by refusing to cooperate with Russia in the OSCE Minsk Group.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan:
“I do not know what the future of the Minsk Group will be, because our French and American colleagues in this group, so to speak, in the Russophobic dust, have everything to do with the Russian Federation,” he said. cancel and the troika of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs cancel and said they would not be in contact in this format. If they are interested in the settlement of Karabakh and in the South Caucasus in general, and in this case, the interests of the Armenian side victim If they are ready to give, it is their own business. “
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharov also briefed European Union Of the Council Azerbaijan and Armenia reacted quite nervously to the question of mediation between:
“Yes, we support the EU’s high-level trilateral statements (Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia Statements of Leaders-ed) We are making strenuous efforts to embark on the implementation process. We hope that Brussels will help to implement these statements and will not try to play more geopolitical games. “
This is not the time for a status issue
In response to Azatutyun’s question about the Minsk Group, the European diplomat said that although this format remains de jure, it is no longer de facto:
In response to Azatutyun’s question about the Minsk Group, the European diplomat said that although this format remains de jure, it is no longer de facto:
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (left), President of the Council of Europe Charles Michel and Prime Minister of Armenia Nicole Pashinyan In Brussels