During the talks between the foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in Moscow on July 25, we proposed realistic compromise solutions to ease the tension, and the parties are working on them. This was stated by the first deputy permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations (UN), Dmitry Polyanskiy, during Wednesday’s UN Security Council emergency meeting on the ongoing illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan.

"It refers to the parallel opening of the Aghdam and Lachin corridors for the movement of civilians and non-military goods. This will create the necessary preconditions for the early start of direct dialogue between Baku and the authorized representatives of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.

The Russian diplomat expressed concern over the continued closure of the Lachin corridor. In his opinion, now more than ever, steps are required aimed at the immediate de-escalation of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh, including the unblocking of the Lachin corridor and the use of other humanitarian routes.

"The Russian Federation, with the assistance of both sides, makes maximum efforts to facilitate the speedy resolution of the crisis, as well as to contribute to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in general.

"We are doing our best at all levels to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the region. We continue the vigorous contacts with all parties involved in order to immediately restore stable deliveries of food and other basic necessities to Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The totality of the statements of the President of Russia, the President of Azerbaijan, and the Prime Minister of Armenia between 2020 and 2022 remains an irreplaceable roadmap for reconciliation between Baku and Yerevan,” Polyanskiy noted. 

"Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation is impossible to imagine without reliable and clear guarantees for the protection of the security and rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh based on universally recognized international principles within the legal framework of Azerbaijan. This logic derives from the repeatedly confirmed and recently reached agreements between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the mutual recognition of each other's territorial integrity in accordance with the Almaty declaration of 1991," added the Russian representative.

"We expect that all the participants in the process will find the political will to overcome differences in order to alleviate the dire situation of tens of thousands of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to establish a stable dialogue in the Baku-Stepanakert format.

"We are ready to work with all responsible players who are interested in the settlement of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation in general. Those who are sincerely committed to this scenario, which is based on the fundamental interests of the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, should leave aside any geopolitical and various internal political considerations.

"Also, we call for a responsible approach to the use of the [UN] Security Council platform in this context. In any case, Baku and Yerevan should resolve the problems between themselves, and no imposed scheme and resolution will replace their dialogue. On our part, we will continue to encourage it, bringing the parties closer to the neighborly decision," Polyanskiy concluded.