I would like to state the obvious: Yerevan has ignored basic ethical standards by disclosing the working materials of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, and even more so, the correspondence of the heads of states, without proper coordination with the stakeholders. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated this, as she commented on the publicizing by the Armenian government of documents from the negotiation process on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“However, since they did it, we can comment on it. All the publicized documents to some extent refute the arguments that official Yerevan has recently tried to advance,” Zakharova added.

According to the Russian MFA spokesperson, the publicized UN and OSCE documents, to whose preparation and adoption Russia actively contributed, confirm that for three decades the country, as a national mediator and as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, has consistently sought a political and diplomatic resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Zakharova emphasized that Russia’s position on the matter has consistently been based on finding a balance between two main principles: respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, and the protection of the rights and interests of the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh, in accordance with internationally recognized norms and standards.

Negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh have always aimed to balance these two components: respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity under international law and principles, and safeguarding the rights and interests of the indigenous population of Karabakh.

The Russian MFA spokesperson added that no negotiations were conducted on the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, or its unification with Armenia.