Russia, CSTO Want Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Talks to Start Immediately

By Asbarez | Friday, 21 January 2022

Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization would like the process of delimitation and demarcation of borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan to start immediately as a practical step to stabilize the region.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the border process would “significantly advance normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku.”

Moscow’s statement comes a day after significant differences were voiced by official Yerevan and Baku on the steps to begin this process, which was the gist of an agreement between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan after a meeting in Sochi, Russia in November.

Armenia is insisting that security mechanisms must be created along the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders and has proposed the simultaneous withdrawal of both countries’ forces from the border, which then would be monitored by an international peacekeeping mission until the delimitation process in completed. Azerbaijan accused Armenia of setting “preconditions” and has effectively rejected this proposal, which Yerevan insists the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders agreed to during a meeting in Brussels in December.

“Launching the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is a priority issue, as well as the unblocking of regional transportation and economic connections,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

“Achieving progress in this direction will enable to advance in the issue of the normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku,” added the foreign ministry, according to the Tass news agency.

“We are making consistent efforts to resolve the situation at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, where, unfortunately, from time to time, incidents with the use of weapons are taking place, causing deaths. It is necessary to form and launch the bilateral commission for the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as soon as possible. We are ready to provide consultative support to Yerevan and Baku in this process,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

It added that Moscow is actively participating in the process of repatriating prisoners of war.

Meanwhile, Stanistalv Zas, the secretary-general of the Russia-led CSTO, called for the process of delimitation and demarcation borders to begin soon during a conversation with United Nations Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca, saying that such a process would become a solution to the current situation on the border.

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