Friday, April 3 2020 16:05

ArmInfo.The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly appealed to Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from using force, to take effective measures to stabilize the  situation and to continue the negotiation process aimed at finding  solutions. This was stated by Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of  Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, in an interview with the  <Novoye Vremya> (New Time, Ed. Note), newspaper, referring to the  latest incident at the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border.

At the same time, he emphasized that this is a firm and unchanging  position of Russia.  "It is extremely important for Russia that  people cease to die in Nagorno-Karabakh, peace reigns, borders open.  All disputed issues must be resolved peacefully between the parties  to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Moreover, an agreement on such a  complex issue requires, as Sergey Lavrov repeatedly emphasized,  finding a verified compromise. As the co-chairing country of the OSCE  Minsk Group, we are trying to reflect a real and fair balance of  interests. As for the CSTO, the organization continues to make a  significant contribution to strengthening the peacekeeping potential  and the system of regional security and stability in Transcaucasia,  "the Russian diplomat noted.

Speaking about the prospects for further deepening the interaction  between Yerevan and Moscow in Syria, Rudenko recalled that Russia and  Armenia, like other members of the CSTO, are in favor of an early  settlement of the Syrian conflict as a result of a political process  led and implemented by the Syrians themselves with the assistance of  the UN, in accordance with UNSC 2254resolution. He recalled that a  separate section was devoted to the situation in Syria as part of a  joint ministerial statement by the CSTO Foreign Ministers Council in  Bishkek on November 27, 2019.

"Our countries stand for the achievement of lasting stability and  security in Syria while continuing the fight against terrorists  recognized as such by the UN Security Council, until their complete  destruction. Moscow and Yerevan are committed to the sovereignty,  independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syria.   Moreover, in both countries attach great importance to humanitarian  assistance to all needy Syrians without discrimination and  preconditions, assistance to the voluntary, safe and dignified return  of refugees and temporarily displaced "We highly appreciate the  contribution of the Armenian side, which delivers humanitarian  supplies to Syria, in particular to the Aleppo region, works to mine  and eliminate explosive substances, and provides medical assistance,"  the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized.  At the same time, he  expressed satisfaction with the overall development of  Russian-Armenian interaction on international platforms. According to  him, in practice, this means maximizing the interests and requests of  each other, whether it is the process of voting on various documents  or mutual support for candidates nominated for elections to UN  bodies.

"Regular consultations between the foreign ministries of the two  countries, based on two-year plans, contribute to increasing the  efficiency of common formats and coordinating foreign policy steps on  the world stage," Rudenko concluded.